Bill on battered husbands may find rough sailing in the Senate–Sotto

Senator Vicente Sotto III INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – How  can  a bill that seeks to give equal protection for battered husbands pass in Congress if no victim  would  come out and testify in support of the bill?

Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto  III  raised this  question during an interview by Senate reporters on Monday, noting that even his colleague, Senator Gregorio Honasan,  who is supportive of such measure, would  not  admit that  he is “under de saya (henpecked).”

“Kasi ‘under de saya’ siya kaya siya nagpa-file ng ganoon. Ngayon, tanungin mo siya, handa siyang mag-testify? (He is under de saya that’s why he is filling that  bill. But ask him if he’s willing to testify?) ” Sotto said in jest.

When reached for comment, Honasan said the joke within the Senate was that he and Sotto are both “battered husbands.”

“Nagkakabiruan kami. Alam mo mga  battered husbands kami pero hindi  kami aamin (We kid each other,  you know we are battered husbands  but we would  not admit it),”  he said  in a phone  interview.

“Biro lang yun, hindi naman ako (It was a joke. I am not a ) battered husband. I’m a good father and a good husband,” he added.

Turning serious, Honasan clarified that while he was supportive of the  proposal,  he had not filed  a measure  and was not planning to file one  in the next Congress.

“I would be supportive of such measure, pero hindi   ko sinasabing magpa-file ako (but I’m not saying I will file it). We have serious doubts kasi kung sino ang lalantad at aamin ,”  he said.

Sotto said the intent of the bill was good but it would  be difficult to support it.

“ Magpapakalalaki na lang kami (We will just act like real men),” he said again in jest.

Sotto  recalled that when  they were  deliberating the Violence Against Women Act in  the past,  he himself  asked  why men  were not   included in the proposal when  there  were also cases of  men who are victims of domestic violence.