Lacson wants to penalize neglect, abandonment of elderly parents

MANILA, Philippines —Under a Senate bill, people who fail to provide the necessary support to their aging, sick and incapacitated parents face imprisonment and fines.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has proposed the Parents Welfare bill to strengthen filial responsibility and to make neglect of parents a criminal offense.

He stressed that taking care of the elderly members of the society is a shared responsibility between the government and their families.

“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,” Lacson said in the bill’s explanatory noted.

Elderly may petition court to compel support

Under the bill, which he also filed in the 17th Congress, a parent who is in need of support may file a petition before the court to compel the children to provide necessary assistance. The Public Attorney’s Office will provide the legal representation of the parent and no court fees will be charged.

Violators will be slapped with imprisonment of one to six months or a fine of P100,000 if the children fail to provide support for three consecutive months without justifiable cause.

Those who leave parents in any place with the intention of wholly abandoning them will be penalized with imprisonment of six to 10 years and a fine of not less than P300,000.

The proposed legislation also seeks to mandate all provincial government and highly urbanized cities to establish and maintain at least one Old Age Home that can accommodate at least 50 parents. — Gaea Katreena Cabico