PhilippineCommissiononWomen Policy Brief No.

AddressingtheInequalityinourPenalLawonAdulteryandConcubinage: ENACTINGTHEANTIMARITALINFIDELITYLAW ThispolicybriefprovidestherationaleforamendingRevisedPenalCodeprovisionsonAdulteryandConcubinage.Italso presentsrecommendationsonhowtoaddresstheinequalitiesinthelawwhilestillprotectingtheinstitutionofmarriage. WHAT IS THE ISSUE? Maritalinfidelityisaviolationorbreachofgoodfaith andconfidencebyoneorbothspousestothe matrimonialvows.Itisalsoamajorspousalpressure thateventuallycausesthebreakdownofmarriageasa foundationofthefamily. Ourpresentlawsonadulteryandconcubinageunder theRevisedPenalCodebothconstitutemarital infidelity,butthesearedeemedasdiscriminatoryand nebulous.Whilebothaimtopunishmaritalinfidelity ofthespouses,thereishigherburdenputonwives thanonhusbands.Thisdisparityinthetreatmentof thelawisseenintheevidentiaryrequirementforthe twocrimesandthereisahugeunderlyingdifferenceif theinfidelitywascommittedbythemaleorfemale spouse.Forthewife,adulterymeansoneactofsexual intercourseprovablethroughcircumstantialevidence whileforthehusband,evidentiaryrequirementfor concubinageishigherbyprovingthatthesexual intercoursewithawomanwhoisnothiswifeisunder scandalouscircumstances;thatheiskeepinganother womanintheconjugalhome;orthatheiscohabiting withherinanotherdwelling.Ourpresentlawalso imposeshigherpenaltytomarriedwomenwho commitinfidelityascomparedtomarriedmen1.The usualreasoningforthedistinctionisthattheinfidelity ofthewifecanresultinintroducingalienbloodinto thefamily;thatanillegitimatechildcouldbepassed offasthehusbandsandhewillendupsupportingand givinghisnametothesaidchild.Itisalsoclaimedthat thisprobabilitydoesnotariseifitisthehusbandwho commitsconcubinage. Itshouldbenotedthatasprivatecrimes,ourpresent lawonadulteryandconcubinageregardstheprivacy
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oftheoffendedpartyasmoreimportantthanthe disturbancetotheorderofsociety,asitgivesthe offendedpartythepreferencewhetherornottosue. Themomenttheoffendedpartyhasinitiatedthe criminalcomplaint,thepublicprosecutorwilltake overandcontinuewithprosecutionoftheoffender. Themomenttheprosecutionstarts,thecrimehas alreadybecomepublicanditisbeyondtheoffended partytopardontheoffender.ButtheRPCprovisionon adulteryhasbeenusedormostlyabusedbymany husbandsagainsttheirwivestothreaten,torture, harassorcompelthelattertoyieldtohisdemands.On theotherhand,thelawonconcubinagerendersit extremelydifficultforthewivestoprovethethree elementsintheCourtsoflawwhichresultstomore dismissalsofcasesfiled.
WHY IS THE ISSUE IMPORTANT? Thepenalprovisionsonadulteryandconcubinage bothconstitutemaritalinfidelitybutareviewed differentlybyapredominantlychauvinistsociety.The disparityintreatmentstemsfromgenderbiasesthat usedoublestandardsinbeingmorelenientthus seeminglyacceptingtheinfidelityofmenasnormal, butmorestringentonwomenwhoareexpectedtobe onewhoisfaithfultoherhusbandnomatterwhat. Thesediscriminatoryprovisionsinthelawshouldbe amended. WHAT ARE THE EXISTING LAWS OR POLICY ISSUANCES RELATED TO THE ISSUE? Section12ofRA9710ortheMagnaCartaofWomen (MCW)providesfortheamendmentorrepealoflaws thatarediscriminatorytowomenwhich,among others,includeArticles333and334oftheRevised PenalCodeonadulteryandconcubinage.

Thepenaltyforwomenwhocommitadulteryrangesfrom2 years,4monthsand1daytoamaximumof6years,whilethe penaltyformenwhocommitconcubinagerangesfrom6months and1daytoamaximumof4yearsand2months.

ENACTING THE ANTI-MARITAL INFIDELITY LAW

PCWPolicyBrief No.3

August 2013

The1987PhilippineConstitutionArticleIIon DeclarationofPrinciplesandStatePoliciesparticularly onSection14providesthatTheStaterecognizesthe roleofwomeninnationbuilding,andshallensurethe fundamentalequalitybeforethelawofwomenand men.ArticleXV,Section2alsoprovidesthatthe Stateshallprotectthemarriageasinviolablesocial institutionandfoundationoffamilylife.

WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHER COUNTRIES IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE?

The2006CEDAWCommitteeConcludingComments onthe5thand6thPhilippineCountryReportraisedits concernonthelackofprogressinundertakingand completingnecessaryrevisionsofdiscriminatory provisionsintheRPC,particularlyMaritalInfidelityBill whichisstillpending.

Alignment with National Priorities

InCanada,thecrimeofadulteryappliestobothaman andawomanwheneitherofthemhassexwith someoneoutsidethemarriage.Adulteryisalsoacrime inKoreapunishablebyuptotwo(2)yearsinjail.In manycountriessuchastheUnitedStates,Russia, Canada,IsraelandPoland,adulteryrepresentsas groundfordivorce.Iran,Pakistan,SaudiArabiaand Yemenpunishadulterybydeathhowever,therehave beennorecentexecutionsunlessothercrimeswere involved2. WHAT ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY?
Promoting womens rights and gender equality Removingthedoublestandardsinthecrimesof adulteryandconcubinagewillcontributetoensuring equalitybeforethelawbetweenwomenandmen.It willalsoprotecttherightsoflegallymarriedwomen. Responding to International Commitments Article2(g)oftheConventionontheEliminationofAll FormsofDiscriminationAgainstWomen(CEDAW) requirestheStatetomodifyorabolishexistinglaws, regulations,customsandpracticesthatconstitute discriminationagainstwomen.Article16alsocalledon theStatesPartiestotakeallappropriatemeasuresto eliminatediscriminationagainstwomenandensure equalityofmenandwomeninallmattersrelatingto marriageandfamilyrelations.
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Theproposedmeasureisconsistentwithitem13of thegovernments16PointagendaonGenderEquality whichstates;fromalackofconcernforgender disparitiesandshortfalls,tothepromotionofequal genderopportunityinallspheresofpublicpoliciesand programs. ItwillalsocomplementtheConstitutionalprovisionon theprotectionofmarriageasaninviolablesocial institutionandfoundationoffamilylife.

POLICY RECOMMENDATION Maritalinfidelityshouldremainanillegalactbecause itisnotonlyacrimeagainsttheotherspousebutalso abreachtothemaritalvows.Marriageisaspecial contractsuchthatitisathreepartyagreementthat involvesthespousesandtheState.Althoughthe personalrightsofthespousesareinvolved,theState alsoconsidersitselfasanoffendedparty,notbecause ofabreachofpublicorderbutbecauseoftheviolation ofmaritalvowswhichtheStateitselfprotects.The Stateregulationofmaritalrelationshipswhich criminalizesinfidelitywillhelpstrengthenthemarriage asaninstitutionbyservingasdeterrentforboth spousesfromtestingtheminefieldofextramarital affairs.

Butthelawshouldnotdistinguishbetweenthe infidelityofamanfromtheinfidelityofawoman.

ExtramaritalSex/InfidelityinJ.T.Sears(Ed.)availableonlineat http://faculty.unlv.edu/fifes2/pdf/Infidelity%20and%20Extramarita l%20Sex.pdf,lastaccessed:onAugust23,2013

ENACTING THE ANTI-MARITAL INFIDELITY LAW

Afterall,theysaidthesamemarriagevowsandthe wifeisnotanylessbetrayedbytheunfaithfulhusband thanahusbandwhosewifebrokehervows.Inorder toaddressthisgenderbias,itisrecommendedthat RevisedPenalCodeprovisiononAdulteryand Concubinagebeamendedasfollows: 1. Definemaritalinfidelityascommittedby "anylegallymarriedpersonwhoshallhave sexualintercoursewithanotherpersonother thanthelegalspouse,andbythepersonwho hassexualintercoursewiththemarried person,knowingthatpersontobelegally married,evenifthemarriagebesubsequently declaredvoid"; Imposethesamepenaltiesforoffending partiesforthesamegravityofoffense committed; Mandatethatthecrimeofmaritalinfidelity shallnotbeprosecutedexceptupon complaintfiledbytheoffendedspouse;

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Providethatanoffendedpartyshallbebarred frominstitutingacriminalprosecutionifsaid partyisalsoguiltyofcommittingtheoffense.

Whilethisproposalwillnotguaranteethatthe spouseswillremainfaithfultothemaritalvows, equalizingthegroundsandpenaltiesformarital infidelitywillgivewomentheoptiontofilecriminal chargesagainstaphilanderinghusband;anoption whichalthoughpresentinourcurrentlaw,isinutile giventhenatureandthedegreeofburdenneededto fileandprovethecrimeofconcubinage. CONCLUSION LegislativeproposalstoamendRPCprovisionson adulteryandconcubinagebyenactingamarital infidelitylawwerefiledbutremainedpendingsince the13thCongress.Itishopedthat,intheinterestof fulfillingtheirmandateundertheMagnaCartaof Women,ourlegislatorswillprioritizeandfavorthe immediateenactmentofamaritalinfidelitylaw.

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PCWPolicyBriefsaimtostimulateinformeddiscourseandguidepolicyactionsonissuesconcerningthe empowermentofwomenandpromotionofgenderequality.
OFFICEOFTHEPRESIDENT

PhilippineCommissiononWomen 1145J.P.LaurelStreet,SanMiguel,1005Manila http://www.pcw.gov.ph|pdad@pcw.gov.ph|+6327358918 ENACTING THE ANTI-MARITAL INFIDELITY LAW