Abusive husbands told to heed restraining order

Regional Trial Court judge Raphael Yrastorza Jr. warned abusive husbands given orders to stay away from their homes to heed the order, otherwise risk spending time in jail.

Yrastorza, who presides the RTC Family Court, slapped a resident of barangay Duljo-Fatima with a 24-hour imprisonment after the latter was cited with direct contempt of court for insisting to stay in the house where his wife and three children were living.

The court has asked The Freeman not to identify the couple.

It was the wife who filed a petition before the court seeking a permanent order prohibiting her husband from living in their conjugal home.

The record of the case showed that the couple met in Cebu City in 1990 and married after four years. But the wife claimed that after years of companionship, she found out that he had vices like drinking, gambling and womanizing.

She said that her husband beats her up and threatens her whenever he gets drunk.

She recalled a particular occasion last November 18 when her husband reportedly shouted at her, saying: "Ari ngari! Kaayo baya nimong patyon! (Come here, I want to kill you!)"

During the hearing of the case last Monday, the wife told the court that her husband refused to comply with the court order and insisted on staying in their conjugal home, prompting Yrastorza to send him to jail.

Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Domestic Violence Act also empowers barangay officials to issue a temporary protection order preventing abusive husbands from staying in their conjugal homes for 15 days. - Rene U. Borromeo