Short answer. Yes. A healthcare provider who examines you for abuse must automatically provide the victim free of charge a medical certificate concerning the examination or visit. You should not be asked to pay for the certificate that documents what was done to you.
What the law says
automatically provide the victim free of charge a medical certificate concerning the examination or visit
RA 9262, Section 31 — Healthcare Provider Response. Read the full provision →
The certificate is free and automatic
When you go to a doctor or health worker because of abuse, one of their legal duties is to document it and give you the record. The provider must automatically provide the victim free of charge a medical certificate concerning the examination or visit. Two words carry weight here. Automatically means you should not have to fight for it or file a special request — issuing the certificate is part of the response to abuse. Free of charge means the certificate itself is not something you are billed for. The paper that proves your injuries were seen and recorded is meant to be in your hands without cost.
What the provider must also do
The free certificate is only one of several duties triggered when a healthcare provider suspects abuse or is told of it. They must properly document your physical, emotional or psychological injuries, and record their own observations and the circumstances of the visit. They must safeguard those records and make them available to you on request at actual cost. And they must give you notice of your rights and remedies under the law and of the services available to you. These duties apply broadly — to an attending physician, nurse, clinician, barangay health worker, therapist or counselor — so help is not limited to a hospital setting.
Why this documentation matters
A contemporaneous medical certificate can become one of the most important pieces of evidence in a protection-order application or a case against an abuser. It captures injuries and observations while they are fresh, from a professional whose record carries weight. Because memories fade and bruises heal, that early documentation may later be the clearest proof of what happened. This is precisely why the law makes the certificate free and automatic: it removes cost and bureaucracy as reasons a victim might leave without the very record that could support her case down the line.
Making the most of a medical visit
If you seek care after abuse, tell the provider it is abuse-related so their duties are engaged, describe what happened as fully as you can bear to, and ask for your medical certificate before you leave. Keep it somewhere safe and separate from anywhere the abuser can reach. Note the date and the provider's details. The certificate does not, by itself, decide any case, but it is a solid foundation for whatever steps you choose next. If you are frightened or unsure, a hospital social worker or the women and children's desk can help you connect the medical visit to your other options.