Push Admin

Tolentino mulls making 'intentional assault' on seniors as 'aggravating circumstance'

Article (news)

Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Senior citizens wait to receive their cash gifts at the San Juan City Hall Atrium on November 22, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/11/22/20221122-san-juan-city-gift-giving-jc-2125-s.jpg"/><figcaption>Senior citizens wait to receive their cash gifts at the San Juan City Hall Atrium on November 22, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said his committee is looking into amending the Revised Penal Code to consider an assault on the elderly &quot;as an aggravating circumstance.&quot;&quot;This committee is contemplating on amending perhaps the Revised Penal Code to make an assault — an intentional assault on an elderly as an aggravating circumstance,&quot; Tolentino said during a hearing Tuesday tackling bills on Anti-Senior Citizen Abuse Act.The legislator believes many cases of abuse specifically pertaining to the elderly are not reported because these are usually &quot;confined to residences,&quot; and some victims may opt not to tell authorities.Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed there were 182,653 incidents involving senior citizens as victims from Jan. 1, 2016 to present.Of the said victims, 11,509 have died, while 55,651 were injured.Police Brig. Gen. Cosme Abrenica, executive officer of PNP-Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, said the top five incidents include reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property and in physical injury; reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and in robbery; and theft.&quot;Nagkaroon po siya ng malaking pagbaba ng insidente from 2019 to 2020, from 29,820 to 18,466. A total of 11,354 decrease... Ang assessment po namin kung bakit bumaba from 2019 to 2020 kasi base po sa data nga natin, reckless imprudence so na-ano po tayo sa bahay so hindi sila masyado ng nakakagalaw,&quot; he shared.Lawyer Don Rick Ventura, the Department of Justice&#x27;s state counsel, recommended a crafting of a written protocol for PNP in responding to elderly abuse.&quot;We respectfully suggest for the inclusion of a timeframe for the PNP to come up with a protocol from the time of the effectivity of the proposed legislation,&quot; he explained.Atty. Charles De Belen of the Senior Citizens Partylist lauded proposals to institutionalize the protection of senior citizens, penalizing those involved in elderly abuse, along with the implementation of proactive measures to prevent abuse.

Sen. Tolentino said his committee is looking into amend the Revised Penal Code to consider an assault on the elderly 'as an aggravating circumstance.'

Tolentino mulls making 'intentional assault' on seniors as 'aggravating circumstance'

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

News

Tolentino mulls making 'intentional assault' on seniors as 'aggravating circumstance'

Arra Perez,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 18, 2023 08:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Francis Tolentino

revised penal code

Senate

senior citizen

crime

PNP

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.