PH Supreme Court affirms SC conviction of husband for psychological violence

MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the Court of Appeals’ (CA) decision to sentence a man to up to eight years after finding him guilty of psychological violence under Republic Act (RA) 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act.

In a statement on Friday, the high tribunal reiterated that what RA 9262 criminalizes is not marital infidelity by itself but the psychological violence that goes with it, causing mental or emotional suffering to the spouse.

“One form of domestic violence punished by RA 9262 is psychological violence committed through marital infidelity, which not only transgresses the matrimonial vows of faithfulness and commitment, but inflicts inconceivable psychological and emotional harm upon the aggrieved spouse and their children,” the court said.

Married in 1999, the couple began having problems in 2009, when the husband started coming home late and grew distant from his family.

In January 2010, the husband sent his wife text messages saying he would no longer return home, wanted to start a new life alone and intended to seek the nullity of their marriage.

The wife later discovered that her husband was living with another woman.

The couple’s son also testified that he saw his mother crying and depressed for more than two years after his father left the family.

The SC agreed with the ruling of the CA and the Regional Trial Court, which found the husband guilty and ordered him to pay PHP130,000 in fines and damages.

“There is no question that marital infidelity, especially that which causes mental and emotional suffering on the innocent spouse, cannot, in any degree, be condoned by the Court for the same is not only contrary to the constitutional principle of inviolability of marriage as well as public policy but also penalized by law,” the SC Second Division’s ruling read.

The SC held that the wife’s testimony, psychological evaluation and other witness testimonies sufficiently proved that her husband’s acts caused her mental and emotional suffering.

-Philippine News Agency