Paolo Duterte Files Bill Punishing Parents if Fail to Give Support to their Child
Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte files a bill aiming to punish parents if they fail to give support to their child.
Duterte and three other MPs want to jail and penalize parents who don’t support their child or children with alimony. Duterte, Eric Yap, a representative from Benguet, and Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano, all from ACT-CIS, are the authors of the measure.
Parents who consistently fail to pay alimony could face two to four years in prison and fines ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 under the proposed Child Support Responsibility Act (House Bill 4807). The idea would allow probation for first-time offenders.
Duterte emphasized the need for parents to be responsible for their children. It also pointed out that under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act (Republic Act 9262), failure to provide child support is considered economic abuse and a crime.
Based on the report, the plan stipulates that child support cannot be less than P6,000 per month or P200 per day. The amount of alimony is determined using the couple’s combined income.
The government can take possession of a parent’s assets, withhold their tax returns, file a consumer credit report, withhold their salaries or retirement benefits, and other similar actions to make them pay child support. A passport will not be given to parents who are in need of support.
Additionally, their licenses for driving, for their professions and occupations, for their hobbies and sports, may be revoked or suspended. It will be added to government initiatives to produce income if there is no work.
Under the proposal, the National Child Support Program will also be established under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to establish a Child Support Register and help children who do not receive alimony. According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), 95% of the 15 million single parents in the nation are women, according to Duterte.
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