Some lawmakers in the House are advocating jailing parents who can be proven to have willfully and repeatedly failed to provide child support.
In a statement released this Tuesday, Davao City First District Rep.Paolo Duterte explained that under House Bill (HB) 4807, the parent can be jailed for 2 to 4 years if it is proven that he repeatedly does not provide financial support to the child.
The proposal also calls for a fine of P100,000 to P300,000 on parents who do not provide alimony.
Parents who are first-time offenders can be placed on probation, said Duterte.
He added most negligent parents are fathers, and they should be punished more severely if the responsibility is not fulfilled.
“Solo parents already have the responsibility of taking care of their kids on their own. They should not be burdened with the problem of compelling their irresponsible and negligent ex-partners to pay child support,” said Duterte in the statement.
Based on a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 million Filipinos, mostly women, are single parents.
Under HB 4807, the amount of child support provided is at least P6,000 per month or P200 per day.
It is said that the amount of child support can also be set by dividing the monthly net income of both parents.
Solons want jail time for parents not giving child support
Under the proposal, negligent parents can also be denied a passport or have their license suspended.
When the parent who has to provide child support does not have a job, they can participate in some government programs to fulfill their obligation.
The proposal also includes establishing a National Child Support Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which will help with child support claims.
Aside from Duterte, the principal author of the proposal — which is pending at the committee level — is Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is also working with the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to help single mothers collect child support for their children.
The two agencies signed a memorandum of an agreement after an influx of complaints from parents who received insufficient financial assistance from their ex-spouses or partners, according to DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo.
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