Solons propose jail for neglect of elderly

Alarmed that one out of every 20 elderly people will be a victim of neglect or physical, psychological or financial abuse this year, lawmakers are seeking to penalize elder abuse with imprisonment.

AKO BICOL partylist Reps. Rodel Batocabe, Alfredo Garbin Jr., and Christopher Co filed House Bill 4980 which provides that elder abuse shall be considered a public offense which may be prosecuted upon the filing of a complaint by any citizen having personal knowledge of the circumstances involving the commission of the crime.

“For many years, Elder Abuse was a hidden, unspoken issue in society. Similar to wife-beating, incest, and child abuse, it was a private problem kept within the confines of the domestic realm. But as a form of family violence, it has remained under or misdiagnosed, under-reported, and poorly addressed by public policy even if it is not uncommon that if one type of abuse is occurring within a home, other forms of abuse may be (or will soon be) taking place,” Batocabe said.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Toronto Declaration on Elder Abuse defines elder abuse as “a single or repeated act, a lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust that causes harm or distress to an older person.”

“In the Philippines, elderly abuse is still not as prevalent as in the West. But of late, elderly abuse is no longer unheard of in modern Filipino culture. Despite our strong tradition of filial piety, it is not as unknown as people perceive it to be. It may be quite disturbing, but we have to admit that it may be a sign of the changing times,” said Botacabe.