Through all the family cases that we have handled, we have come to accept, without discounting the contrary, the sad fact that bad blood exists between the opposing parties (e.g., estranged spouses in annulment/separation/property cases, siblings and relatives in estate proceedings). In particular, with respect to custody-support cases over children, it is easily understandable that custody is one of the more contested issues. However, the issue on child support should not be as complicated.
It should not be as complicated, but reality makes it so. Articles 195 and 196 of the Family Code enumerate the persons who are under obligation to support each other:
- (1) The spouses;
- (2) Legitimate ascendants and descendants;
- (3) Parents and their legitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter;
- (4) Parents and their illegitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter;
- (5) Legitimate brothers and sisters, whether of full or half-blood; and
- (6) Brothers and sisters not legitimately related, whether of the full or half-blood, except only when the need for support of the brother or sister, being of age, is due to a cause imputable to the claimant’s fault or negligence.
On the other hand, the amount of support should be in proportion to the resources or means of the giver and the necessities of the recipient, pursuant to Articles 194, 201 and 202 of the Family Code:
Art. 194. Support comprises everything indispensable for sustenance, dwelling, clothing, medical attendance, education and transportation, in keeping with the financial capacity of the family.
The education of the person entitled to be supported referred to in the preceding paragraph shall include his schooling or training for some profession, trade or vocation, even beyond the age of majority. Transportation shall include expenses in going to and from school, or to and from place of work.
Art. 201. The amount of support, in the cases referred to in Articles 195 and 196, shall be in proportion to the resources or means of the giver and to the necessities of the recipient.
Art. 202. Support in the cases referred to in the preceding article shall be reduced or increased proportionately, according to the reduction or increase of the necessities of the recipient and the resources or means of the person obliged to furnish the same.
If you are a parent, it is safe to assume that you would want the best for your child and you wouldn’t hesitate to provide adequate support. However, it’s unfortunate that when it comes to support for the common children (whether legitimate or illegitimate), so many fathers still fail (or worse, simply refuse) to provide adequate support. Whatever the reason is, and regardless of whether or not these reasons are correct, the problem became pervasive, so much so that Congress saw it fit to “criminalize” (only against fathers) the withholding of support in certain instances. Not everyone knows that this is covered under Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the “Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004“. [See Laws on Child Support in the Philippines]
Not everyone also knows that R.A. 9262 provides for criminal sactions or penalties for failure to provide support or withholding custody, in certain cases. Well, now you know.
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Sir paano po kung hindi nka apelyido sa ama pwede pa din po bang humingi ng sustento
pwd po humingi ng advice? ako po ay hiwalay na since 2015, may anak po kmi 3 ages 9 11 at 17..may suporta nmn siya,kaso para kulang ung bigay nia according sa pngangailngan ng mga anak nmin, seafarer po siya at kapitan npo ng barko,magknu po ba dapat ang suporta nia sa bawat bata? kasi pg nsa barko po nsa 50k+ lng po bgay nia,eh pgkakaalam ko po ang laki n ng sahod nia..ano po mgndang gawin..im a plain housewife lng po
Ako po ay kasal sa asawa kong may dalawang anak sa una nyang asawa pero hindi po sila kasal…Recently lang po kami ikinasal and 3mos. pregnant na po ako ngayon. Ilang percent po ba ang dapat ibigay ng isang taong minimum wage lang po ang kinikita. Maraming salamat po.
Nagkaroon po ako NG karelasyon sa isang Army.. Late ko na po nalaman na may gf po sya at nag lilive in na dw po sila.. Wala kaso sakin d na ko nakikipagkita at kumontak pa sa kanya pero a month later buntis po ako at kumontak ulet sa kanya para ipaalam sa kanya na nagdadalang tao po ako at gusto sana na mabigyan nya NG sustento sa anak ko.. Pero ayaw nya akuin ang bata.. Ma’s malala pa buntis dn po ka live in nya.. Ano po gagawin ko?
hello what if po di kami kasal ng partner ko, pwede po ba ako magfile ng case kung di sya magsusupport?
Good evening atty. we’ve been married for 13yrs my husband is working in Abu Dhabi before he leaved he knows our obligation but he only send money not compensate with our needs. We have monthly for car 11k house 5500.00 payment of our loans in amount of 9800 but he send us 30k the following month 20k and now is only 17k. We are not in good terms for now. I need your help what should I do for my kids that they will not suffer the crisis.my eldest is now grade 7 and the youngest is grade III. Thank u and god bless
I am a single mother. My ex partner refused to help ever since he knew that I’m pregnant. He left me. Now my baby’s 5 year old. Tried communicating with my ex partner but end getting ignored. Now it’s been 5 years and i tried to ask for help from him but end up getting ignored again. I just want to ask if I can file a complaint against him? But the thing is my baby is using my family name and not his.
Hello atty gusto ko lang po malaman if tama po ba na ako ang hingan ng exhusband ko nga supporta ng anak namin kahit 18yrs old na cya at wala naman po ako work?
sir i am noemi alpis i am not married with the father of my child i left him for many reasons from the time he knows that i am pregnant he force me to drink some medicine for abortion but the baby did not came out while my womb is growing he leave me in my appartment alone never suported anything so i go to job and i save the money i earn for my labor expencies when i deliver my baby he is not there so the last name of my baby is mine…
but i im connected to him that time for i respect that he is the father of my child ?? i am the one who paid all the expencies in the hospital he even not give single peso for my labor …that days i still visited him in there house i bring his daughter but then he did not treat me well so i go home with my parents though im still comunicate him for my baby because i am giving his right but then with some problem he cut off the his connection and without even supporting hia child …
after that i never ask anything instead i keep silent and never bother him .. but now he post me in social media and let his friends discriminate me in publicity .. please sir give me an advice what would i do sir what shall i do to make him stand his responsibility and to stop him doing that thing sir..
May naka one night stand po ako hindi ko po sya gf. Nag-claim sya na anak ko daw po yung anak nya. Nakapag bigay po ako sa kanya kahit konti noong nagbubuntis pa sya pero nagduda ako sa mga resulta ng 1st trimester ultrasound nya na sobra ng dalawang linggo mula nung may nangyari sa amin. Dahil kinakapos din ako nung panahon na yon sinabi ko na magbibigay ulit ako kung mapatunayan nya na sa akin ang bata. Nag demand ako na ipa DNA test yung bata kahit ako nalang ang gumastos at pumayag sya sa matinong usapan na ipapa DNA ang bata kapag naipanganak na. Pero bigla nalang syang nanghihingi ng pera/sustento nang hindi paman nanganganak at nagsabi na magkakaso sya sakin kapag hindi ako nagbigay ng pera.
Nung nalaman kong nanganak na yung babae, twice ako nag reach out na ipa dna na yung bata pero hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit parang andami nilang dahilan at hindi matuloy tuloy yung DNA. Noong mag iisang taon na yung bata at nagkausap ulit kami ng matino nung babae na ituloy na yung DNA test at sagot ko na yung gastos. May napagkasunduan ulit na date pero habang papalapit ang birthday ng bata ay nanghihingi na ng pera yung babae pang handa daw sa 1st birthday daw ng bata. Ang isinagot ko noon ay ang dati pa rin naming napagkasunduaan na kapag napatunayan sa DNA test na sa akin yung bata ay saka lang ako magbibigy ng pera sa kanya. Ngayon po may mga pinapakita syang documents na nag-kaso sya sa akin sa child support.
Gusto ko po sana masigurado na sa akin ang bata bago ako magbigay ulit pera sa kanya dahil jobless po yung babae. At kung mangyari po na sa akin ang bata pwede ba akong lumaban sa custody ng bata kung hindi nya kayang palakihin ang bata dahil laging dinadahilan ng babae kaya sya nanghihingi sa akin ay wala syang trabaho ata walang mapakain sa anak nya.