Custody of children is one of the most intense aspects in family litigation. A custody battle could be an independent case or a mere incident in an annulment/separation case. Some basic matters pertaining to child custody under Philippine laws are discussed below.
In custody disputes, what is the paramount criterion?
The paramount criterion in custody disputes is the welfare and well-being of the child, or the best interest of the child. The court, in arriving at its decision as to whom custody of the minor should be given, must take into account the respective resources and social and moral situations of the contending parents. Nevertheless, this primordial rule can override the rights of one or both parents over their children.
What is the general rule as to custody over children?
The general rule is that a child under seven years of age shall not be separated from his mother, which is based on the basic need of a child for his mother’s loving care. Article 213 of the Family Code provides that “[n]o child under seven years of age shall be separated from the mother, unless the court finds compelling reasons to order otherwise.” This is more pronounced in case of illegitimate children, as the law expressly provides that illegitimate children shall be under the parental authority of their mother.
Is this rule absolute?
This rule is not absolute. Even a mother may be deprived of the custody of her child who is below seven years of age for “compelling reasons.” Instances of unsuitability are neglect, abandonment, unemployment and immorality, habitual drunkenness, drug addiction, maltreatment of the child, insanity, and affliction with a communicable illness. Negligent and careless failure to perform the duties of parenthood is a significant element of abandonment, regardless of actual intention. A strong basis for a finding of the parent’s abandonment of his or her child is found in the case where the parent has left the child permanently or indefinitely in the care of others, given it to another, or surrendered it entirely.
I left my child with a relative, even signing a document to such effect. Am I barred from taking back my child?
Parental authority and responsibility are inalienable and may not be transferred or renounced except in cases authorized by law. The right attached to parental authority, being purely personal, the law allows a waiver of parental authority only in cases of adoption, guardianship and surrender to a children’s home or an orphan institution. When a parent entrusts the custody of a minor to another, such as a friend or godfather, even in a document, what is given is merely temporary custody and it does not constitute a renunciation of parental authority. Even if a definite renunciation is manifest, the law still disallows the same.
Is the court bound by such preference of a child below 7 years of age?
While such choice is given respect, the court is not bound by that choice. The court may exercise its discretion by disregarding the child’s preference should the parent chosen be found to be unfit, in which instance, custody may be given to the other parent, or even to a third person. Decisions on custody of children are always open to adjustment as the circumstances may warrant.
[See also Child Custody of the Father and Mother, Visitation Rights in the Philippines]
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Good day po,
My name is Laurie and I currently live overseas with my husband.
My main concern is about a case regarding my brother, his wife(my sister-in-law) and their three children aged 7,6 and 4 respectively.
My sister-in-law is in Hong Kong now and just recently, she admitted to being infidel to my brother. She also told us that she’s never coming back for us, for her family but she only wants her children. My brother wants to take actions regarding getting the full custody of their three children. And hopefully for me to foster one of their kids and bring him/her to US with us. All the kids live with my brother and our parents in our parents house in Imus, Cavite. My sister-in-law used to live there as well before she went to Hong Kong. My brother is jobless now because one of them needed to be with the children while the other is away..unfortunately, my brother has been left out jobless and cheated..he’s trying to get a new job now knowing that she’s not coming back. We want to know the courses of action that we can take to start the process of getting the full custody of the children. And we want to know the ways on how we can possibly won this against my sister-in-law.
Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you soon!
Good day, may anak ako jan sa Pinas mg 4 yrs old n cya, mila pinanganak sinuporthan ko cya financially, hangang ngkalabuan kmi ng mother nya nag asawa ung mother nya recently ngaun ang usapan nmin suportahan ko ung anak ko ok nman sakin nung pinapadalhan ko pa cya ng pera pra sa anak ko pinapakita p skin ung anak ko video call kmi twice a week, but then my ngsabi skin n ung pera n pinapadala ko eh d lhat npupunta sa anak ko so I decided n ibigay ko nlang ang suporta ko sa anak ko in kind sbi ko ilista nya lahat needs ng anak ko kmi bibili pg check up kmi mgbayadmgtxt lng cya, nung ganun n ang sitwasyon about supporta ko sa anak ko d n ako ngbibigay ng pera instead mga needs nlang nya ayaw n nla ipakita skin ung bata tinago n nla, at nababalitaan ko n pg umaalis cla ng bago nyang asawa iniiwan lng anak ko sa family nya or mga relatives nla, gsto ko sna mgkaroon ng acces sa anak ko or much better makuha ko ang custody kc gsto ko cya makuha Dto sa Canada, i am willing to hire a lawyer for my rights s anak ko, unemployed ung ex ko umaasa lng cya s asawa nya which is not enough for them, and I’m sure d nla kya ibigay kya ko ibigay sa bata, please send me an email or add me on my Facebook Marvin Dela Vega, kung my family lawyer man na interested to help me. Thank you
Good day po! Meron po akong pamangkin, 6 years na po namin siyang kasama, 8 months palang po ang nanay niya iniwan na siya dahil daw po magttrabho pero simula nun di na bumalik dahil nag asawa na ng iba. Ngayon po, kinukuha niya saamin ang bata, may laban po ba kami kung sakaling idaan sa batas? Salamat po in advance
Good pm po atty. ask ko lng, may chance ba.p n mpunta skin ang full costudy ng anak ko na 8years old n ngaun khit nasa abroad ako? im an OFW at andto ako sa HK ngaun. Nkpaghiwalay po ako s asawa ko dhil sa paulit ulit nyang pambabae.Yung anak ko po ay nasa pangangalaga ng parents ko at ako lng po ang sumusuporta s lht ng needs ng anak ko. Never pong nagbigay ngbsustento ang tatay nya mula nung knuha ko sknya. Ang tanong ko po, my chance ba na sa akin ang costudy s anak ko kahit andto ako s abrod or kialangan ko bang umuwi at mag stay na sa Pinas pra lng masigurado na s akin ang bata?kung di po ako mag a abrod, ako lng ang sumusuporta s mga anak ko. Salamat po.
Atty..pahingi nmn po nang advice mero po ako dlawang anak tpos nsa ina ngaun…ngbibigay nmn po ako nang supporta…peru ngaun po tnangalan nya ako nang karapatan sa mga anak ko kc d ko nsagot un tawag nya….d po kmi kasado tpos po ayaw nya din ipahiram sa mga mgulng ko ung mga bata…Tpos po ng request ako na sa bahay nang mga mgulng ko e celebrate un bday nang bunso ko kasi minsan lng kmi completo nang pamilya ko tapos ayaw nyang pumayag…anu dapt kong gawin attorney…isa pa po ang papa nya adik ewan kulng po nangaun
hi po. kasal po kami ng misis ko.. naghiwalay po kami ng march 2017, ngayon gipit po ako from may 2017 to agust 2017 kasi strike po ang company namin. tapos po nakapagsupporta po ako ng sept. kaso po sa sobrang pag aaway namin through text pinagbawalan ako mag sustento sa bata at binantaan na di ipapahiram sakin ung bata. tinatabi ko nalang po ung dapat naibagay ko sa bata at nag decision na ipasok nalang sa insurance kung saan beneficiary ang bata. ang reason po kung bakit kami naghiwalay ay nagkaroon ng third party itong si misis ano po magandang gawin? at sila pa may planong baliktarin ako? na ako daw ay may babae ngayon. tas pinapakulam daw ng babae ko ung mag ina ko..
hello po .gusto ko lang po sana humingi ng legal advice.. ang 4yrs old ko po na bunsong anak naka apelido po sia sa tatay nia na dati kong kinakasama..hindi po kame kasal kasi kasal pa sia sa iba pero matagal narin po silang hiwalay at may anak din sila .. nagsama po kame ng halos 3taon ..pero di kame magkasundo ,lagi kme nag aaway at ang pinaka nagtulak sakin na iwan sia is yung pinag aawayan narin po namen ang mga bata ,ang unang anak nia at unang anak ko din po..kaya bilang ina minabute ko na iwan na lang sia dhil muntik n nia akong saktan sa harap ng mga anak ko napigil lang ng nanay nia ..ngaun po ang gusto ko po kc malaman is kung pano ko po mapapalitan ang apelido ng anak ko at mailipat n lng sakin ang surname ng anak ko..? plss paki bgyan po ako ng magandang advice at magandang gawin para dito kasi mag aaral na po ang anak ko . thanks in advance
Advice pls!
My fiance and I use to live in the Philippines but we left to the US be with my family because we have a daughter together and one on the way. However, he has a son back in the Philippines who lives with his mom and her family who are also all US citizens residing in the Philippines. My fiance’s son is about to be 7 y/o and we want to try to get some custody or legal rights because my fiance’s son’s mother is keeping him from us. No contact since October 2016.
What is my fiance able to do?
Good pm Atty. Problema po ng ate ko kung paano niya kukunin yung anak niya. Ganito po ang nangyare…
Nabuntis po yung ate ko at iniwan ng bf niya. Dahil gulong-gulo siya, iniwan niya yung pamangkin ko sa tatay namin. Umalis yung ate ko at di na bumalik. Mag-isa lang po ng father ko sa bahay namin dahil hiwalay na sila ni nanay at ako naman ay nag-aaral(working student) noon.
Nung 4 or 5 yrs old na po yung niece ko, pumanaw po si tatay. Bago pumanaw si tatay, ibinilin daw niya yung niece ko sa pinsan ko na may ka-live-in at wala pang anak.
Nagalit ako noon sa ate ko dahil hindi man lang siya pumunta nung burol ni tatay. Kinokontak namin siya pero hindi namin siya nakontak.
After 1 or 2 yrs, bumalik ang ate ko para kunin yung pamangkin ko pero ayaw nung pinsan ko lalo na nung ka-live-in niya. Nagalit ang ate ko dahil nalaman niya na sinasaktan yung niece ko kaya nagpumilit siyang kunin yung bata pero pinagbawalan siya nung babae(ka-live-in ng pinsan ko) at sinaktan pa yung ate ko. Dahil mag-isa noon ng ate ko, hindi niya nakuha yung niece ko.
Ngayon, mga 8yrs old na yung niece ko at bumalik ulit yung ate ko kasama ang kanyang asawa para kunin ang bata pero hindi nila nadatnan ang bata at yung babae. Ayon sa pinsan ko, inuwi daw ng babae ang niece ko sa Zamboanga dahil nag-away sila. Kinontak ng ate ko yung babae. Sinagot niya yung unang tawag pero hindi na yung mga sumunod.
Ano po ang dapat gawin ng ate ko? Sa kanya pa rin po ba dapat ang kustodiya ng niece ko? Hindi po ba siya makakasuhan ng abandonment?
Good Day Atty.:
May itatanong po sana ako Atty., yung ate ko po kasi gusto nang kunin yung custody ng anak nya na 16 years old. May right na po ba yung bata na pumili kung saan mapupunta ang custody nya?
Ang sitwasyon po kasi bago maghiwalay yung ate ko at asawa nya, nag karoon sya ng affair sa iba, ganon din po yung asawa nya nag karoon din ng affair sa iba. May nabasa po kasi ako na kapag “CONVICTED ADULTERY”, mawawala na yung karapatan ng magulang sa bata, but then di naman po di naman po sila nag kasuhan, so walang conviction.
Maraming salamat po,
God Bless.