By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) has welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming that violence against women remains punishable even when committed through digital platforms.
In a statement supporting the Court’s June 29, 2026 Resolution in G.R. No. 274842, the PCW said the decision reinforces the principle that abuse does not become less harmful or less punishable because it is carried out online.
The case involved psychological violence under Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, committed through a publicly accessible Facebook post.
The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and ruled that Facebook qualifies as an information and communications technology (ICT) system, making the higher penalty under Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, applicable.
The PCW said the ruling makes clear that digital platforms cannot be used to normalize abuse or evade accountability.
It warned that technology can expand the reach, speed, permanence and visibility of violence against women, including online harassment, threats, cyberstalking, digital surveillance, impersonation, unauthorized sharing of intimate content and technology-enabled coercive control.
The commission also flagged emerging threats involving generative artificial intelligence, deepfakes and other manipulated media that can be used to sexually exploit, humiliate, threaten or deceive women without their knowledge or consent.
These forms of technology-facilitated violence can compromise women’s privacy, dignity, bodily autonomy, reputation and safety, the PCW said.
The ruling also underscores the need to keep laws and policies responsive to rapidly evolving forms of digital abuse, the commission said, citing ongoing efforts to strengthen the Anti-VAWC Act.
Among these measures is House Bill No. 8420, or the Expanded Anti-VAWC Act, which seeks to specifically define and address technology-facilitated violence against women and their children. The House approved the measure on May 20, 2026, and transmitted it to the Senate on May 25.
The PCW said stronger laws must be matched by effective implementation and prevention, including improved digital, media and AI literacy, responsible online behavior, stronger capacity among duty-bearers and service providers, and accessible, confidential and survivor-centered reporting and support mechanisms.
The commission said these efforts are aligned with the Magna Carta of Women, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women 2025–2030.
The PCW said the Supreme Court ruling affirms that violence against women does not cease when it moves online—and neither should protection, accountability and access to justice.
ia/xf
