My husband or boyfriend doesn't hit me, but he humiliates me, controls our money, cheats, or stopped supporting our child. Is that a VAWC case?

Why

Republic Act No. 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, covers acts committed against a woman who is the offender's wife or former wife, a woman with whom he has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or a woman with whom he has a common child, and against her child, legitimate or illegitimate, whether the abuse happens inside or outside the home. Under Section 3, a 'dating relationship' means living together as husband and wife without marriage, or being romantically involved over time and on a continuing basis; a casual acquaintance is not enough. A single sexual act counts as 'sexual relations'.

Section 3 recognizes four forms of violence. Physical violence causes bodily harm. Sexual violence includes rape, sexual harassment, and treating a woman as a sex object. Psychological violence is any act or omission causing, or likely to cause, mental or emotional suffering, such as intimidation, harassment, stalking, damage to property, public ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal abuse, and mental infidelity. Economic abuse includes withdrawing financial support, preventing the woman from working or running a business, depriving her of the use of conjugal or common property, destroying household property, and controlling her own money.

Section 5 lists the punishable acts. Besides causing, threatening, or attempting physical harm, they include using force or threats to control what a woman or her child does, which covers depriving or threatening to deprive them of financial support legally due, or deliberately giving the children insufficient support (Section 5(e)); stalking, lingering outside her home, and other conduct that causes her substantial emotional distress (Section 5(h)); and causing mental or emotional anguish, public ridicule, or humiliation, including repeated verbal and emotional abuse and denial of financial support or custody of the children (Section 5(i)). Under Section 6, acts under Sections 5(h) and 5(i) are punished by prision mayor, plus a fine of ₱100,000 to ₱300,000 and mandatory psychological counseling or psychiatric treatment. The penalty is imposed in its maximum period if the act is committed while the woman is pregnant or in the presence of her child.

Section 25 makes VAWC a public offense: any citizen with personal knowledge of the facts can file the complaint, not only the victim. Section 33 bars barangay officials from forcing a victim to compromise, and makes the Katarungang Pambarangay conciliation rules inapplicable, so you do not need a barangay certification to file. Under Section 7, the Regional Trial Court designated as a Family Court hears these cases. Under Section 24, acts under Sections 5(a) to 5(f) prescribe in 20 years, and acts under Sections 5(g) to 5(i) in 10 years. Section 27 says being drunk or on drugs is not a defense, and Section 44 keeps the records confidential.

Criminal prosecution and protection orders can run side by side. A Barangay Protection Order can be issued the same day to stop the abuse, and a Temporary or Permanent Protection Order from the court can grant support, custody, and stay-away orders. An employed victim is also entitled under Section 43 to up to 10 days of paid leave, on top of other leave, extendible when the protection order requires it. To prove psychological violence, your own testimony about the anguish you suffered, backed by messages, witnesses, and, where available, a psychologist's evaluation, helps show the harm the law requires.