Can just one relative file a report, or does it also need to be two people?
Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Yes — a single relative can file alone. RA 9262 §9(c) lets any ascendant, descendant, or collateral relative within the fourth civil degree of the offended party file a VAWC protection-order petition by themselves; the two-person requirement in §9(h) applies only to the separate concerned-citizen route, not to relatives.
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Frequently asked
What does "within the fourth civil degree" cover?
RA 9262 §9(c) names ascendants, descendants, or collateral relatives within the fourth civil degree — a range that includes parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, and first cousins, among others.
Is a relative who files protected from a retaliatory lawsuit?
No — RA 9262 has no statutory good-faith reporter immunity, so a relative who files under §9(c) is not shielded from a retaliatory civil or criminal suit, even if the report is entirely true and made in good faith.
Does the same single-relative rule apply if the abuse involves a child instead?
Not identically. RA 7610 §27(c) also allows a single relative to file, but the qualifying range is narrower — within the third degree of consanguinity. RA 9262 §9(c), by contrast, covers the fourth civil degree.
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Who besides the victim can file a VAWC petition or a child-abuse complaint under RA 9262 and RA 7610 — neighbours, relatives, social workers, barangay officials — and how many people it takes.