Parents who deliberately and repeatedly neglect their obligation of providing child support should be sent to jail.
Thus, said Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte, author of House Bill (HB) No.4807.
Under the measure, parents with recurring offenses of failing to send financial support to their child or children will be punished with imprisonment of two to four years, depending on the discretion of the courts.
These "deadbeat" parents will also be made to pay a fine ranging from P100,000 to P300,000.
“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,” Duterte said.
“This proposed law aims to ensure that their kids have sufficient support for their subsistence and other essential needs,” added the Mindanaoan.
Noting that most negligent parents withholding child support are men, Duterte said these deadbeat fathers should be made to own up to their responsibilities by imposing stringent penalties on them.
The amount of child support under HB 4807 shall not be lower than P6,000 a month, which is equivalent to P200 a day. The combined monthly net incomes of both parents shall be used in determining the amount of child support, which shall be divided proportionately between the two based on their respective net incomes.
First-time offenders may be granted probation under the measure.
Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano are Duterte's co-authors.