Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday filed Senate Bill No. 2567, which seeks to penalize violence against women in politics (VAWP) to address both online and offline abuse directed at female political figures.
“It seeks to cover various types of violence such as economic, institutional, physical and psychological, sexual, and technology-facilitated violence, among others,” she said in the bill’s explanatory note.
She said the rapid development of technology has increasingly expanded VAWP to digital spaces, where social media platforms and online forums have become arenas where women in politics are subjected to coordinated harassment, threats of physical and sexual harm, gendered disinformation, AI-generated sexual images, and other forms of abuse intended to silence, intimidate, or discredit them.
“These attacks do not merely target women, they undermine democratic participation. Violence against women in politics, whether online or offline, discourages women from running for office, participating in political debates, and exercising leadership. It also intimidates and discourages young women and girls who may otherwise aspire to public service. When women are pushed out of political spaces through harassment and intimidation, democracy itself is diminished,” she also said.
While existing laws address certain forms of violence, harassment, and cybercrime, Hontiveros said there remains a significant gap in recognizing and addressing violence specifically directed at women in the exercise of their political rights.
“The absence of a clear legal framework allows perpetrators to exploit digital platforms with little accountability, while victims are left without adequate remedies or protection… Ensuring safe and inclusive political participation for women is not merely a matter of gender equality. It is essential to the health and legitimacy of our democracy,” she said.