Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has filed a bill seeking to criminalize the abandonment of elderly, sick, and incapacitated parents who no longer have the means to support themselves.
“We, Filipinos, are well-known for our close family ties. Because of this, it is not surprising that we have the usual inclination to care for our elderly. However, even with this close family ties, there are cases of elderly, sick, and incapacitated parents who were abandoned by their own children. Nowadays, the sights of abandoned elderly in our streets become typical,” Lacson said.
The bill would give teeth to the Family Code, which already legally obligates support for the elderly.
Once enacted, the bill would allow parents to file a petition for support before the court, which may issue a support order against children who have failed or refused to provide necessary support.
If the respondents fail to comply without a legitimate reason, the court may issue warrants to forcefully collect the required support for every violation of the order. If, even after three months, the children still have not given their parents support, they will face imprisonment for one to six months and pay a fine of ₱100,000.
Children responsible for the care of their elderly parent(s) and abandon them will be subject to a six to ten-year sentence, along with a fine of ₱300,000.
The Public Attorney’s Office will be providing the parents’ legal representation, and the legal proceedings will not incur court fees.
Prior to hearing the petitions, conciliation officers will mediate for the parents in need and their children to preserve unity and peace within the family.
The bill also entails the establishment of an “Old Age Home” for elderly, sick, and incapacitated parents in every province and city. The home will accommodate at least 50 parents.
Lacson said that the government and the younger generation share the responsibility of caring for the elderly.
“The care for the aged is neither an exclusively private matter to be left to the family nor an exclusively public concern best left to the government,” he said.
In the United States, 30 states have filial responsibility laws, with measures from civil court action to criminal penalties, the lawmaker noted.
