(c) ascendants, descendants or collateral relatives within the fourth civil degree of
consanguinity or affinity;
(d) officers or social workers of the DSWD or social workers of local government units
(LGUs);
(e) police officers, preferably those in charge of women and children's desks;
(f) Punong Barangay or Barangay Kagawad;
(g) lawyer, counselor, therapist or healthcare provider of the petitioner;
(h) At least two (2) concerned responsible citizens of the city or municipality where the
violence against women and their children occurred and who has personal knowledge
of the offense committed.
SECTION 10. Where to Apply for a Protection Order. – Applications for BPOs shall follow the rules on
venue under Section 409 of the Local Government Code of 1991 and its implementing rules and
regulations. An application for a TPO or PPO may be filed in the regional trial court, metropolitan trial
court, municipal trial court, municipal circuit trial court with territorial jurisdiction over the place of
residence of the petitioner: Provided, however, That if a family court exists in the place of residence of
the petitioner, the application shall be filed with that court.
SECTION 11. How to Apply for a Protection Order. – The application for a protection order must be in
writing, signed and verified under oath by the applicant. It may be filed as an independent action or as
incidental relief in any civil or criminal case the subject matter or issues thereof partakes of a violence
as described in this Act. A standard protection order application form, written in English with translation
to the major local languages, shall be made available to facilitate applications for protections order, and
shall contain, among other, the following information:
(a) names and addresses of petitioner and respondent;
(b) description of relationships between petitioner and respondent;
(c) a statement of the circumstances of the abuse;
(d) description of the reliefs requested by petitioner as specified in Section 8 herein;
(e) request for counsel and reasons for such;
(f) request for waiver of application fees until hearing; and
(g) an attestation that there is no pending application for a protection order in another
court.
If the applicants is not the victim, the application must be accompanied by an affidavit of the applicant
attesting to (a) the circumstances of the abuse suffered by the victim and (b) the circumstances of
consent given by the victim for the filling of the application. When disclosure of the address of the victim
will pose danger to her life, it shall be so stated in the application. In such a case, the applicant shall