Anti-Elder Abuse Law proposed in House to protect seniors from harm

MANILA, Philippines — A House lawmaker has filed a measure seeking to penalize those who abuse senior citizens, exploit them financially or materially or neglect their care.

Rep. Ann Matibag (Laguna, 1st District) filed House Bill 2012 on Wednesday, July 16. Known as the proposed Anti-Elder Abuse Law of 2025, the bill outlines various forms of abuse that would be subject to penalties.

In broad terms, the bill defines elder abuse as “a single or repeated act, or failure to act appropriately,” by someone entrusted with the care or support of the older person.

The bill explicitly bans the following acts directed at elderly persons:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional or psychological abuse
• Financial or material exploitation
• Neglect
• Abandonment

Examples of each abuse

According to the bill, physical abuse refers to the use of force that may cause bodily injury, pain or physical impairment. This includes acts such as hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching and burning.

Also considered physical abuse are forcing older persons to take inappropriate drugs, physically restraining them, force-feeding and subjecting them to other forms of physical punishment.

The measure considers it sexual abuse when non-consensual sexual contact is made with senior citizens, particularly those unable to provide consent. This covers acts such as unwanted touching, rape, sodomy, sexual assault, coerced nudity and recording sexually explicit content involving the elderly.

Emotional or psychological abuse, meanwhile, refers to the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. This includes insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation and harassment.

The bill also cites specific examples that would be considered illegal, such as treating an elderly person like an infant, giving them the silent treatment or isolating them from family and loved ones.

Financial and material exploitation of senior citizens is likewise prohibited under the bill. This refers to the unauthorized use of an elder’s money, property or assets — such as encashing checks without consent, forging signatures or deceiving them into signing documents.

Apart from abuse, the bill also penalizes the neglect or abandonment of an elderly person. This includes the failure to fulfill obligations to provide care, whether by family members or home service providers responsible for the elder’s well-being.

Abandonment simply means leaving an elderly person behind without provision for their care or well-being.

Penalties

The bill prescribes penalties based on the Revised Penal Code and the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act:

• Serious physical injuries: prisión mayor
• Less serious physical injuries: prisión correccional
• Slight physical injuries: arresto mayor
• Sexual abuse: prisión mayor
• Psychological abuse: prisión mayor
• Financial or material exploitation: prisión correccional
• Neglect or abandonment: arresto mayor

If the perpetrator has a prior conviction under the same law, is a relative up to the second degree of consanguinity, an owner-operator, manager, or employee of an elderly care facility, or a public official or staff of a government-run elderly residential care facility, they will face the maximum period of the prescribed penalty.

In cases of financial abuse, penalties are determined by the amount exploited. Exploiting between P50,000 and P500,000 warrants prisión mayor, while amounts of P500,000 and above merit reclusión temporal.

“The passage of this measure is a legislative priority supported by the Commission on Human Rights, senior citizen federations, and advocates for the rights of the elderly,” the bill’s explanatory note read. 

“It will close existing legal gaps, harmonize interventions, and affirm the nation’s collective commitment to honor, care for, and protect its senior citizens,” it added. 

Sen. Ping Lacson has also filed a similar measure, the Parents Welfare Act of 2025, aimed at penalizing children or individuals who neglect to support their elderly, ailing or incapacitated parents.