Economic abuse is explicitly covered under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262). In Philippine law, “VAWC” is not limited to hitting, threats, or sexual coercion. It also includes controlling, depriving, or sabotaging a woman’s (and her child’s) access to money, livelihood, property, and support—when done within covered intimate or family relationships and in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harm.

This article explains what “economic abuse” means under RA 9262, what conduct is covered, how it overlaps with support and property rules, what remedies are available (especially protection orders), how cases are filed and proven, and common misconceptions.

Note: This is general legal information in the Philippine context, not legal advice for a specific case.

1) The Legal Basis: RA 9262 Recognizes Economic Abuse as VAWC

RA 9262 defines “violence against women and their children” to include several forms of abuse—physical, sexual, psychological, and economic. “Economic abuse” is treated as a form of violence when it is used to control, punish, dominate, or render the woman financially dependent, or when it causes or is likely to cause financial harm to her or her child.

In plain terms: If an intimate partner (or covered offender) uses money, support, work, or property as a weapon, RA 9262 may apply.

2) Who Is Protected Under RA 9262?

A. Protected persons

RA 9262 protects:

Women who are victims of violence committed by a covered offender; and
Their children (legitimate or illegitimate), including minors and in certain contexts even adult children who are unable to care for themselves due to disability.

B. Covered relationships (the offender-victim link)

Economic abuse under RA 9262 is actionable only when the offender is:

A current or former spouse;
A person the woman has or had a dating relationship with;
A person the woman has had a sexual relationship with; or
A person with whom the woman has a common child (whether or not they lived together or were married).

This is crucial: Marriage is not required. A boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or the father of a child can be liable if the relationship fits RA 9262’s coverage.

3) What Counts as “Economic Abuse” Under RA 9262?

Economic abuse generally refers to acts that:

Make or attempt to make the woman financially dependent; and/or
Deprive or threaten to deprive her (or her child) of financial resources, support, or property rights; and/or
Control or restrict her ability to work, engage in business, study, or access money; and/or
Cause or are likely to cause financial harm.

Common forms of economic abuse recognized in practice

Below are examples that often fall within the idea of economic abuse when tied to control/violence in an intimate relationship:

1) Withholding or controlling support

Refusing to provide legally or morally expected support for the woman and/or child as a means of control or punishment
Giving support only with conditions like “I’ll pay if you come back,” “if you stop working,” “if you drop the case,” or “if you give me custody”

2) Blocking employment or livelihood

Preventing the woman from working, applying for a job, or continuing employment
Harassing her workplace, taking her phone, sabotaging transportation, stalking her at work, or forcing resignation
Confiscating tools needed for work (laptop, uniforms, IDs)

3) Taking or controlling income and financial access

Forcing her to hand over her salary, tips, or business income
Restricting access to bank accounts, e-wallets, ATM cards, passwords
Monitoring and controlling every purchase to enforce dependence

4) Property-related abuse and financial sabotage

Destroying or selling her belongings, work equipment, or documents
Preventing her from using shared property (vehicle, appliances) needed for daily life
Disposing of assets to keep her from claiming support or property share
Running up debts to burden the household or the woman, especially if coerced into signing

5) Housing and utilities as leverage

Kicking her out or threatening eviction to force compliance
Cutting off utilities (electricity, water, internet) to pressure her
Locking her out of the family home or denying her access to personal effects

Key point: Many of these acts become stronger RA 9262 cases when they are part of a pattern of coercive control, intimidation, humiliation, or retaliation—especially when they affect the woman’s safety, dignity, and ability to live independently.

4) Is “Non-Support” Automatically Economic Abuse Under RA 9262?

Not automatically. Failure/refusal to provide support can be economic abuse under RA 9262, but the context matters:

RA 9262 is an anti-violence law, not merely a collection tool.
If the refusal to support is tied to control, punishment, harassment, or deprivation within a covered relationship, it is more likely to be treated as economic abuse (and often also as psychological violence due to mental anguish).
Purely technical disputes about capacity to pay, amounts, or temporary inability can complicate a criminal VAWC theory—though protection-order and support remedies may still be pursued.

Practical framing: If the conduct shows coercion (“no money unless…”) or deliberate deprivation/sabotage while the offender has the ability to provide, economic abuse is more clearly implicated.

5) Economic Abuse Often Overlaps With Psychological Violence

RA 9262 also covers psychological violence, which includes acts causing or likely to cause mental or emotional suffering—such as intimidation, harassment, stalking, public humiliation, threats, and other coercive behaviors.

Economic abuse frequently results in:

Anxiety and fear about survival and the child’s needs
Shame, humiliation, and loss of autonomy
Stress from debt, eviction, job loss, or deprivation

So a single course of conduct may be pleaded as:

Economic abuse (financial deprivation/control), and
Psychological violence (mental anguish caused by the deprivation and coercion)

This matters because many VAWC complaints are built around the overall pattern, not a single isolated incident.

6) What Remedies Does RA 9262 Provide for Economic Abuse?

One of RA 9262’s most powerful features is that it provides both:

Immediate protective remedies (through Protection Orders), and
Criminal accountability (through prosecution of VAWC acts), plus civil reliefs.

A. Protection Orders (POs): fast, practical relief

Protection Orders can be requested to stop abuse and stabilize finances and living conditions. These may include orders that:

Prohibit the offender from committing or threatening acts of violence
Stay away from the woman/child and specified places (home, school, workplace)
Stop harassment/communication
Provide financial support (including child support)
Prevent the offender from disposing of property or accessing certain assets
Grant use/possession of the family home (even temporarily)
Allow the victim to retrieve personal belongings
Provide other relief necessary for safety and independence

Types of Protection Orders (commonly used):

Barangay Protection Order (BPO): typically aimed at immediate protection and usually focuses on stopping violence/harassment; it’s designed to be accessible and fast.
Temporary Protection Order (TPO): issued by the court, generally quicker and often sought for broader relief.
Permanent Protection Order (PPO): longer-term court order after hearing.

Even when the victim is unsure about immediately pursuing criminal prosecution, protection orders are often the first, most urgent step in economic abuse cases—especially where support, housing, or property control is involved.

B. Criminal case under RA 9262

Economic abuse can be part of the criminal charge when it falls within RA 9262’s prohibited acts of violence. Criminal proceedings can lead to:

Penalties (imprisonment and other consequences depending on the proven acts and circumstances)
Orders for support and restitution in appropriate cases
Protective conditions

Important: Many victims pursue both:

A PO for immediate safety and support, and
A criminal complaint for accountability

7) How Economic Abuse Interacts With Support and Property Laws

A. Support (Family Code principles)

Philippine family law recognizes support obligations (for spouse and children, and especially for children). Even outside marriage, a parent has obligations toward their child.

RA 9262 can be used when support deprivation is part of violence/abuse. But victims may also pursue:

Support petitions (civil/family proceedings)
Related actions involving custody, visitation, and parenting arrangements

B. Property disputes vs. economic abuse

Not every argument about money, business, or property is automatically VAWC. Courts generally look for:

A covered relationship under RA 9262; and
Conduct that is abusive in nature—coercive, controlling, retaliatory, harmful—rather than a good-faith disagreement.

However, when property acts are done to intimidate, punish, or impoverish the woman (e.g., selling assets to prevent her from leaving, destroying tools for work, blocking access to essentials), they can move from “property dispute” into economic abuse.

8) Evidence and Proof: What Helps Establish Economic Abuse?

Economic abuse is often proven through documents and credible narration rather than visible injuries. Helpful evidence can include:

Financial and support records

Proof of regular expenses for the child (school, milk, medicine)
Proof of offender’s capacity or lifestyle (where lawfully obtained)
Remittance history, bank transfers, or sudden stoppage patterns
Receipts showing the victim shouldered all expenses after deprivation

Employment/livelihood sabotage

HR reports, incident reports, workplace messages, CCTV (if available)
Text messages ordering resignation, threatening the workplace
Proof of confiscated IDs/tools/devices

Coercion and control communications

Screenshots of messages tying money to compliance (“drop the case,” “come back”)
Threats to cut support, cancel utilities, sell property, take the child

Property and housing issues

Proof of eviction, lockout, utility cutoffs
Photos, barangay blotter, incident reports
Proof of destruction of property or documents

Witnesses and contemporaneous reports

Barangay blotter entries
Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) reports
Affidavits from relatives, neighbors, teachers, caregivers
Medical/psychological consultations (where emotional harm is documented)

Consistency matters. A clear timeline—what happened, when, how it affected survival and independence—is often the backbone of an economic abuse claim.

9) Where and How Cases Are Filed (Practical Pathways)

Victims typically approach one or more of these:

Barangay (for blotter and, where applicable, BPO)
PNP Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) for reporting and assistance
City/Municipal Prosecutor’s Office for criminal complaints
Family Courts for TPO/PPO and related family relief (support, custody-related orders when appropriate)
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) or accredited legal aid groups for representation (eligibility rules may apply)

Many survivors pursue a sequence like:

Immediate report + safety planning
Apply for Protection Order (to stop harassment and secure support/housing)
File criminal complaint if appropriate and desired

10) Common Misconceptions (and Clarifications)

“VAWC is only about physical violence.”

No. RA 9262 covers economic and psychological violence, among others.

“If we aren’t married, RA 9262 doesn’t apply.”

Not necessarily. It can apply if there was a dating relationship, sexual relationship, or a common child.

“Economic abuse is just being ‘kuripot’ or strict with budgeting.”

Budgeting is not abuse by itself. Economic abuse involves coercion, control, deprivation, sabotage, or harm, usually as part of power over the woman.

“Support issues should be a civil case, not VAWC.”

Support can be both a family law issue and—when used as a weapon within a covered relationship—a VAWC issue. RA 9262 is often used when withholding support is part of violence or control.

11) Practical Examples: When RA 9262 Economic Abuse Is Often Alleged

These scenarios commonly fit the VAWC framework when the relationship is covered:

A partner stops all support after separation and says he will resume only if she returns or drops complaints.
A boyfriend/father of the child blocks the woman from working, threatens her employer, and confiscates her phone and IDs.
A spouse controls all accounts, gives “allowance” only with strict surveillance, and punishes her by cutting funds and utilities.
An ex sells or hides assets and threatens to bankrupt her if she pursues custody/support.
A partner forces her to sign loans, then refuses to pay and uses the debt to trap her.

12) What Victims Commonly Ask For in Protection Orders (Especially in Economic Abuse)

In economic abuse cases, common PO requests include:

Support (child support and other necessary support)
Exclusive or peaceful use of the home or specified areas
Orders stopping harassment at work/school
Orders preventing disposal of property or interference with bank accounts
Retrieval of personal effects and work tools
Stay-away and no-contact provisions to stop coercion

Protection orders are designed to be protective and practical, not merely punitive.

13) Key Takeaways

Yes—economic abuse is covered under RA 9262.
RA 9262 protects women (and their children) from financial deprivation, control, and sabotage when committed by a covered intimate partner or related offender.
Economic abuse frequently overlaps with psychological violence because deprivation and coercion cause mental and emotional suffering.
Protection Orders are often the fastest and most effective remedy to secure support, housing stability, and safety.
Strong cases are built with clear timelines, documents, communications, and witness support, not just testimony about disagreements.

If you want, I can also draft:

A sample outline for a VAWC complaint affidavit focused on economic abuse (facts-only, timeline-based), or
A checklist of documents typically prepared for PO applications and support-related relief.