HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo expressed gratitude to the Committee on Welfare of Children for approving a bill that imposes harsher penalties on parents, particularly fathers, who fail to support their children.

House Bill 8987, which aims to penalize neglectful parents, has now advanced to the Committee on Appropriations for discussions on funding the establishment of an office under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to oversee its implementation.

Tulfo highlighted the importance of the bill, stressing the need to hold fathers accountable for neglecting their children, especially after abandoning their families.

“This law is very much needed. Fathers who refuse to provide support to their children, especially after leaving their families, must be penalized,” he said.

The bill, filed by Tulfo in August 2023, alongside ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Jocelyn Tulfo and Edvic Yap, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, and Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Tulfo, proposes penalties of up to six years imprisonment for “deadbeat” fathers.

During deliberations, it was agreed that child support would be determined based on the child’s needs, with the DSWD and the National Economic and Development Authority tasked with setting the appropriate amounts.

Tulfo thanked his colleagues in Congress for supporting the bill and called for its swift passage to ensure negligent fathers face consequences for abandoning their children.

“We are grateful for the progress of this bill, but we hope it can be expedited to hold these heartless fathers accountable,” he added.

The bill is seen as a major step toward addressing parental neglect and safeguarding children’s rights.