Short answer. Yes. The VAWC law gives victims a right to compensation, not only protection. It provides that any victim of violence under this Act shall be entitled to actual, compensatory, moral and exemplary damages, so an abuser can be made to pay for the harm caused.
What the law says
Any victim of violence under this Act shall be entitled to actual, compensatory, moral and exemplary damages
RA 9262, Section 36 — Damages. Read the full provision →
The law gives a right to be paid
Protection orders keep an abuser away, but the VAWC law goes further and lets a victim recover money for the damage done. It states that Any victim of violence under this Act shall be entitled to actual, compensatory, moral and exemplary damages. That is a direct grant of a right to damages, listing several kinds at once. So beyond stopping the abuse, the law contemplates the abuser answering for it financially. A victim is not limited to seeking safety; she may also seek redress for what the violence has cost her, in the forms the provision names.
What each kind of damages is for
The four types serve different purposes. Actual and compensatory damages cover concrete losses you can show — medical expenses, damaged property, income lost because of the abuse. Moral damages address the suffering that has no receipt: the fear, anguish, humiliation and emotional injury abuse inflicts. Exemplary damages go beyond making you whole; they are awarded to set an example and to deter conduct like the abuser's. Together they let the law respond to the full shape of the harm — the bills, the pain, and the need to signal that such conduct carries real consequences.
Proof still shapes the award
A right to damages is not a fixed cheque; what you actually recover depends on what you can establish. For actual and compensatory damages especially, you generally need to prove the losses — receipts, records, proof of missed earnings. Moral and exemplary damages depend on the court's assessment of the abuse and its effects. This is why documentation matters so much: medical certificates, photographs, messages, and records of expenses all build the case for a meaningful award. No provision promises a particular amount; the evidence you bring is what turns the statutory right into a concrete sum.
Pursuing a claim in practice
Damages under the VAWC law are typically pursued in connection with the case against the abuser, so it makes sense to think about compensation alongside protection and any criminal complaint rather than as an afterthought. Keep and organise proof of every kind of loss — financial, physical and emotional — from as early as you can. Because valuing and proving damages involves both law and evidence, and because your safety comes first, it is wise to work with a lawyer who can fold the damages claim into your overall case and press for the compensation the law entitles you to seek.