Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 17) — Women in lesbian relationships may also be charged for violation of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (Anti-VAWC) Act, the Supreme Court (SC) reiterated in a ruling made public recently.
In a 10-page decision uploaded on its website on May 15, the high court rejected the appeal of a private individual, identified as a certain Sandra Jane Jacinto, to quash the case against her which was filed after she allegedly attacked her partner of 16 years.
Jacinto was accused of forcefully pushing her live-in partner and of crushing the latter’s hands repeatedly with a car door, resulting in physical injuries.
In assailing the case against her, Jacinto argued that what she did does not constitute an offense under Republic Act (RA) 9262, or the Anti-VAWC Act, as she said that the law does not apply to lesbian relationships.
But this argument “utterly lacks basis,” according to the SC, which cited a previous case known as “Garcia v. Drilon.”
The Garcia ruling noted that Section 3 of the Anti-VAWC law is clear that “any person” could be liable for violation of its provisions, whether the attacker is a man or a woman.
“The foregoing discussion of the Court as to the applicability of the law to lesbian relationships is clearly a resolution of the particular issue raised in Garcia,” read the recent SC decision penned by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting.
Jacinto sought intervention from the SC after the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City twice denied her motion to dismiss the case — the first time in July 2019, and the second in November of the same year.
