Women’s rights advocates are urging businesses to take greater accountability in addressing domestic violence, particularly when it involves corporate executives or occurs within the context of the corporate sector.
This concern was highlighted by the Zero VAWC (Violence Against Women and Children) Alliance during a media forum held on February 3 at the UP Center for Women and Gender Studies in Diliman, Quezon City. The event was organized with the support of the UP Office of the Faculty Regent.
“While corporations have initiated programs to lessen gender abuse in the workplace, the majority turn a blind eye to domestic abuse and violence in intimate relationships,” stated the alliance in its Unity Statement, read by artist and Babae Ako co-founder May Paner. “They focus policies and actions on public ‘reputation risk,’ excluding ‘private matters’ from their policies.”
The alliance cited the case of Emmanuel “Noel” Bonoan, a business executive and former finance undersecretary, who was compelled to withdraw as president of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) after women’s rights groups exposed his documented acts of domestic violence.
“I saw the immediate aftermath of the abuse on my mother by my father,” said Martina Bonoan, daughter of Emmanuel Bonoan, who spoke at the forum. “I have lived through it, and I have seen how the cycle of abuse persists as victims regain their strength to speak out.”
Martina recounted personally witnessing her father physically abusing her mother when she was just six years old. “I saw him throw my mother against their bathroom wall, my mother limply sliding down into their bathtub. Years later, I saw the injuries she had sustained after he had senselessly beaten her one night – a blackened jaw, bruised arms and shoulders, and fingers tinged with purple because she had been thrown on the floor—all while I was unsuspectingly in the next room.”
She also criticized MAP for framing her father’s resignation as an “honest and moral act.”
“Let’s be clear: stepping down is not accountability. It is the bare minimum in light of his actions,” she emphasized.
The alliance stressed that cases like that of Bonoan are not isolated, nor are they merely private family matters.
“Domestic violence spills over into every aspect of our lives—our homes, our communities, and even our workplaces,” said Judy Taguiwalo, former social welfare secretary and former UP Faculty Regent. “It is also important to recognize that victims and survivors, while primarily women and children, also include other members of the household. Domestic violence can also victimize older persons, kasambahays, and even males or individuals of other gender identities.”
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the alliance noted that one in four Filipino women aged 15 to 49 has experienced domestic violence. Many cases remain unreported due to fear, stigma, and lack of institutional support.
“When companies ignore domestic violence, they send a message that power and profit matter more than human dignity,” said former Gabriela representative Emmi de Jesus.
Gert Libang, chairperson of Gabriela, acknowledged legislative gains in protecting women and children from domestic violence but stressed that much more needs to be done.
“The government must have a mechanism for monitoring corporate compliance with anti-VAWC laws. Otherwise, it cannot demand accountability from corporations, and its stance to end VAWC becomes mere tokenism,” Libang asserted. She also urged the executive branch to strengthen the monitoring and enforcement functions of the Philippine Commission on Women and other relevant agencies.
Libang further emphasized that employee workplaces and management associations, including MAP, must adopt codes of conduct addressing VAWC and other forms of gender-based discrimination.
UP Faculty Regent Early Sol A. Gadong expressed her support for initiatives combating domestic violence and other forms of violence against women and children.
“With the Kaayohan framework guiding my leadership, we emphasize wellness, well-being, and welfare for all, including the right of all workers, especially women, to be safe from violence, whether inside or outside the workplace,” Faculty Regent Gadong stated.
She also criticized corporations for prioritizing brand protection over the dignity and rights of their workers.
“We question why they constantly show off policies that prevent workplace harassment but stay silent when abuse happens in the home, knowing full well that survivors bring the trauma with them to work. This is clearly selective accountability, and this selectiveness fuels a culture of impunity. Abusers are protected while victims are left without recourse,” she concluded.