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.