Short answer. Yes. The anti-VAWC law lists officers and social workers of the DSWD, and social workers of local government units, among those who may file a petition for a protection order. A social worker who encounters an abused woman or child can bring the petition without the victim having to file it herself.
What the law says
officers or social workers of the DSWD or social workers of local government units (LGUs)
RA 9262, Section 9 — Who May File. Read the full provision →
Social workers are on the list
The Act names, among those who may petition for a protection order, "officers or social workers of the DSWD or social workers of local government units (LGUs)." So a social worker is not confined to counselling or referring the victim onward — the law gives them standing to file the petition themselves. That fits how these cases actually reach help: a woman or child in an abusive home often first discloses to a social worker, at a crisis intervention unit, a shelter, or a local social welfare office, and the law lets that worker act on what they have learned.
Both DSWD and local government social workers
The provision reaches two layers of the system. It covers officers and social workers of the DSWD, the national department, and separately social workers of local government units — the city, municipal, and barangay level closest to the family. A social worker attached to the local government therefore qualifies just as a DSWD officer does. This dual coverage matters because the front-line response usually comes from the local social welfare office, and the law makes sure that the worker who is physically nearest to the household is among those empowered to seek a protection order.
What the social worker's filing achieves
When a social worker files, the victim gets a route to protection that does not depend on her overcoming fear or the abuser's control to walk into a courtroom herself. The petition can seek the same reliefs as any other: a barangay order to desist, a temporary protection order from the court on the day of filing, and a permanent one after a hearing. Often the same worker is already arranging shelter, medical care, and counselling, so the protection order slots into a broader plan for the victim's safety rather than standing alone.
The limits worth knowing
A social worker's standing to file does not change what must be proved: the petition still has to establish abuse of the kind the Act covers. The worker initiates and supports the case; the court weighs the evidence and decides the order. The confidentiality the law imposes on those handling VAWC cases also binds the social worker, so the victim's privacy is protected throughout. A protection order is a civil, protective remedy, separate from any criminal complaint that may follow. This is general information about who may file, not advice on a specific case.