Disturbing Statistics for Fatherless homes

Let numbers speak for it self. According to a US journal, Getting Men Involved: The Newsletter of the Bay Area Male Involvement Network, Spring 1997:

Begin quote:

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
(Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes

85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Source: Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26, 1978.)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.)

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes (Source: Rainbows for all Gods Children.)

70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988)

85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992)

(Because only a portion of each age group grew up in a fatherless home,) these statistics translate to mean that children from fatherless homes are:

5 times more likely to commit suicide
32 times more likely to run away
20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
14 times more likely to commit rape
9 times more likely to drop out of high school
10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution
20 times more likely to end up in prison.

end quote

Close family ties, a trait associated with Filipinos positively, and sometimes in a negative way. But just imagine growing up without a father given those numbers above. This is very disturbing. Growing up without a father is not just a temporary stain to one's upbringing but maybe carried out as he interacts with the society.

Men's Rights Now

After days of research, I'm starting to realize that we are not alone. Fighting for men's rights is a world wide phenomenon and with some sites of this international organizations hitting around a hundred thousand hits a month, we are now being heard and we are not alone. While thousand of studies and hundreds of organizations are being created worldwide for women's rights, we seldom hear about ordinary men, gays & lesbians. Are we so blinded by the this old notion that women are weak that we continuously forget about the others? Are we saying that men are mere perpetrators of this crime and they don't need protection or help from the governement? Now I say this is completely BS.

Equal protection, equal oppurtunity. This is what we want, and this is what we need.

The idea to come up with an organization such as theDiego Silang movement, is to let others be aware that the Andres we came to know in this country needs protection and help from the government and other soci-civic organizations too. This is an appeal that while we have created laws to protect our women and children specifically RA 9262, the law is actually a direct attack to the sanctity of marriage and is actually gearing towards the destruction of our families.

We condone violence as much as you do, but men need your help too. RA 9262 specifically states the benefits a women can get and the aid the governemnt shall provide. But how about us? What can the government do if we are falsely accused? What can the government do if they kicked us out of our homes, stripped of property, worst, of fatherhood?

If one is proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, by all means, let them rot in jail. But what if the law is being used for other reasons than justice? Where can we go? Who will represent us if we can't avail the services of a lawyer? The answer is no one. No organization or government institution in this country advocates men's rights. We are all alone.

Several international organizations including the National Coalition of Free Men and Father's for Justice among others are both gearing up to empower men and other genders left alone to rot by this system.

This is the main goal of the Diego Silang Movement. We will not stop till the creation of a fair system by the government and that they heed our voices. We vow to assist those in need of assistance, be it men, women, gays or lesbians. We vow to fight for the abolition of RA 9262 till the government came up with a better law protecting all genders.


Domestic violence is not just a woman's issue, this is OUR ISSUE.

Husband's revenge

Now it's time to get back on track and stand for what is rightfully ours - our dignity, our being a father. One article from Phil Star last March says a certain woman was charged with kidnapping for failure to return her son to the father. To qoute the report further;


"In a resolution, dated Jan. 16, 2009, Quezon City Assistant Prosecutor Alfredo Agcaoili said Mary Pauline Javier had committed the crime charged by deliberately refusing to hand back the boy to his father. Assistant City Prosecutor Wilfredo Andres approved the resolution on the same day."


But wait, before you go rushing to Supreme Court, this case was filed in consideration of their previous compromise agreement to share custody of their son as they are now living separately. However, the woman allegedly failed to return their son back to his father for months now, prompting the latter to file writ of habeas corpus.


Keep in mind that this is a result of their previous agreement which the court approved. Never ever enter into an agreement without the court's approval. While you can gather enough evidence or witnesses to support your claim that the two of you agreed to something, this can easily be refuted. As they say, this so called agreement cannot hold water in court and can be used against you.

Options for battered husbands

Atty. Katrina Legarda once wrote in one of her articles (full story) with ABS-CBN news presenting the letter from a certain 'battered husband' to file for her marriage to be declared void due to pyschological incapacity. Here's the catch, you need to prepare hundreds of thousands of pesos for this.

Here's what you need and how much;

Psychologist/Psychiatrist (one with a doctorate degree in clinical psychology) - to conduct battery of tests on you and your wife to determine your personalities. Cost is around P40 000- P60 000.

Family Lawyer - to represent you. Cost is dependent on how good lawyer is, which may be around P150 000 - P 250 000, for acceptance fee alone. This is not inclusive of appearance fee, retainer, and others. Well, there's always PAO(Public Attorney's Office) but take note that they have the right to deny your case as they more cases on priority list.

Social Worker - to conduct surveys or to back up the doctor's claim. Last time I heard from a family lawyer, some courts require social worker to check on your wife's lifestyle or whatever. I don't exactly know for what specific reason. Cost is around P 10 000 - P 20 000.


For those who can't afford, don't lose hope. With this so called 'movement' I'm trying to come up in this blog prosper, hopefully we can get some lawyers or even doctors to help us out. For those interested email me at yolak69@gmail.com and join our cause.

Ever heard of battered husbands

"Lalaki ka," he said. "Nakakahiya namang sabihin na binugbog ka ng asawa mo (You're a man. It's a shame to say your wife beat you)."

Written by Claire Delfin for GMA News last 2/13/2008(full story). This article shows how men are left alone in this society whose laws favors women more than men. The story is about a certain Roger, a typical Andres in their household. For the love of his children, he swallowed whole his ego and kept this brutality for himself, even if until this one night that he managed to bring himself to a nearby hospital with blood dripping profusely down his nape from a wound caused by a broken glass thrown at him by no less than his wife.

"We live in a patriarchal, macho society. It is still a common perception that men are stronger than women. So, a man, even if he's a victim of spousal abuse, refuses to let other people know about his situation for fear that society might think of him as a lesser man." -Supt. Filemon Porciuncula, Chief, QCPD Crime Lab

So where will you go if you happen to be in the same shoes as Roger? This is not certainly one that you can just tell your Mom or Yaya about. Issues like this should be reported to the nearest police station or the at least the Barangay Hall. Forget about your dignity, forget about what will they say. You may file for a blotter or better yet file a case immediately. But if again, you are still this typical Roger that you "LOVE" your wife to pieces. Then forget about it. I say this for your security, better late than never. Again, just remember that if your wife files for RA 9262 and you would like to refute it by saying that it's really you she's been hurting. Court will always go back to the records and ask for your medical certificate and a blotter at least.



Is there a law or at least an agency who can protect Roger?



Let me quote again from this article what the spokeperson of Gabriela said about this.

"If men are battered, then like what women did, they should also unite and lobby for a legislation that will protect them from domestic abuses," Gert Libang, spokeperson Gabriela '08

Reality bites. While there are laws citing physical abuse, there is no law specifically covering domestic abuse. We are on our own. Be scared, be very scared.