A group of lawmakers have filed a bill prohibiting father’s failure to to support his children.
House Bill 8987, or “An Act Punishing the Willful Failure to Pay Paternal Child Support,” was introduced by ACT-CIS partylist Reps. Erwin Tulfo, Jocelyn Tulfo, and Edvic Yap; Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo.
The bill proposes a penalty of six to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of P100, 000 to P300, 000 for fathers who willfully fail to pay child support.
The bill proposed that paternal child support shall be at least 10 percent of the father’s salary, but should not be lower than P6, 000 a month or P200 a day.
The lawmakers said criminalization of a negligent father was already duly provided in Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violation Against Women and Children (Anti-VAWC) Act, particularly referred to as economic abuse, which includes the withdrawal of child support.
“However, the comprehensive implementation and enforcement of paternal child support, including all other acts to establish the said legal obligation, is still a legislative priority,” the bill stated.
“It is in this regard that this proposed measures seeks to establish the amount of paternal child support and streamline the process in establishing paternity which is prerequisite for a child support order,” it added.
Tulfo also noted that the proposed bill will still undergo committee deliberations and public consultation with relevant stakeholders to make sure that the rights and interest of all parties concerned are upheld.