Short answer. No. The Act has the Punong Barangay issue the order on the date of filing after an ex parte determination of the basis of the application — ex parte meaning the respondent is not heard before it issues. He learns of it afterwards, when a copy is personally served on him.
What the law says
Immediately after the issuance of an ex parte BPO, the Punong Barangay or Barangay Kagawad shall personally serve a copy of the same on the respondent, or direct any barangay official to effect is personal service.
RA 9262, Section 14 — Barangay Protection Orders. Read the full provision →
Why the order is made without him
An order that required both sides to be present before it could issue would be useless in the situation it exists for. So the Act separates the two things: the determination comes first and is made on the application alone, and the respondent's involvement comes after. This is what ex parte means in this section. It also explains why the order is short-lived — fifteen days — since an order made without hearing the other side is not meant to be a permanent arrangement.
He will be told, and the Act says how
It is important to be clear about this rather than reassuring: the order is served on him. Immediately after issuance, the Punong Barangay or Kagawad is to personally serve a copy on the respondent, or direct any barangay official to effect personal service. So there is a point at which he knows, and it is usually the same day or close to it. Ask who will serve it and when, so that you know the timing rather than learning it from his reaction.
The court route works the same way at the first stage
If a court application is the one you are considering, the answer to this question is the same at the start and different later. A temporary order is one the court may issue on the date of filing, also after an ex parte determination, and it is served on the respondent personally by the sheriff. But a permanent order comes only after notice and hearing, so there is a stage at which both sides are before the court. That is worth knowing in advance rather than at the door.
What you can arrange beforehand
You need not attend the barangay alone: the Act allows the parties to be accompanied by a non-lawyer advocate in any proceeding before the Punong Barangay, and barangay officials are directed to assist applicants in preparing an application. Records of these cases, including those held at the barangay, are confidential. And if writing down where you are living would itself be dangerous, the Act allows that to be stated and a mailing address given instead — raise it before the form is filled in.
Related provisions
- RA 9262, Section 11 — How To Apply
- RA 9262, Section 15 — Temporary Protection Orders
- RA 9262, Section 44 — Confidentiality