.. 
Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
APRUBADO na sa House Committee on Welfare of Children ang panukalang batas na naglalayong patawan ng mabigat na parusa ang mga amang hindi nagbibigay ng kaukulang sustento sa kanilang mga anak.
Ayon kay House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, target ng substitute bill (An Act Ensuring Child Support and Penalizing Parental Refusal or Neglect Thereof) na pinagtibay ng komite tulungan ang mga solo parent para maitaguyod ang kanilang anak.
Bukod kay Tulfo, kabilang din sa mga kongresistang bumalangkas ng panukala sina ACT-CIS partylist Reps. Edvic Yap at Jocelyn Tulfo at dalawang iba pang mga mambabatas na sina Benguet Rep. Eric Yap at Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo.
Nag-ambag din sa naturang substitute bill sina Reps. Paul Daza, Patrick Michael Vargas, Paolo Duterte, Gus Tambunting, Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar, Jude Acidre, Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, Baio Dimple Mastura, Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, ang yumaong Edward Hagedorn, Noel Rivera, Wilbert Lee, at Angelica Natasha Co.
“This bill will help our sole parents, numbering around 15 million of our population, will be their tool to be able to support their children. Hindi na po kailangan lumuhod at magmakaawa ng mga ina sa mga ex nila at ama ng mga bata para sa sustento,” ayon pa sa ranking House official.
“Enough is enough, I would say. This has to end right now, kaya kailangan pong ipasa ang batas na ito. What is really unfortunate, some of these irresponsible fathers are holding government positions while most are working in the private sector,” dagdag niya.pa ni Tulfo.
Sa panig ni Rep. Edvic Yap, sinabi niyang layon din ng proposed measure na sagutin ang isang kritikal ngunit madalas na hindi pinapansin na isyu – ang tiyakin tinutupad ng mga ama ang kanyang mga pananagutan sa mga anak.
“The current system has shortcomings. Republic Act No. 9262, the Anti-VAWC Act, already penalizes economic abuse, which includes the withdrawal of child support. However, enforcing paternal child support comprehensively and establishing paternity – a prerequisite for a child support order – remains a challenge,” ani Rep. Yap.
“Any person who willfully and unjustly fails to pay child support pursuant to a Support Order despite having a gainful employment, business or enterprise, property, or any means or source income, shall be liable for willful failure to pay child support, which shall be furnished with prison correctional in its minimum period.”
“If the offender is a public officer or employee, the penalty shall be imposed in its maximum period” o hanggang anim na taong kulong.
