Apo Abogado,

Maysaak nga agtagibalay, ket ti asawak a ni Max maysa nga Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) nga agtrabtrabaho a kas construction worker iti New Zealand iti napalabas a sangapulon a tawen. Maminsan laeng iti kada tawen nga agbakasion.  Tallo ti annakmi, ubbingda pay ket addada amin iti elementaria. Ngem daksanggasat ta naammuak nga adda babai ni Max ket agkabkabbalayda payen. Isu met laeng a no agbakasion ket saan a dagus nga agderetso ditoy balaymi ta agawid nga umuna iti balay ti babaina nga adda met laeng ditoy probinsiami.

Nagsakit a panunoten, Apo Abogado. Iti napalabas nga innem a bulan insardengen ni Max ti agipatulod iti sustento wenno suportami. Awan met ngarud trabahok tapno mabiagko koma dagiti annakko. Nagsardeng payen dagiti ubbing nga agbasa ta inserreko idi ida iti pribado nga eskuela. Pagpiespiestaandakami a sangapamilia dagiti tsismosa ditoy lugarmi. Napalalo ti pannakaibabain, pannakairurumen ken pannakaidadanesko agraman dagiti annakmi a saan pay unay a makaawat iti mapaspasamak iti pamiliami. Anian a panagsagabami. Apektadodan ta no dadduma, kankantiawan ida dagiti gagayyemda. Madanaganak no ania ti mabalin a mapasamak kadagiti annakmi nangnangruna ta menor de edadda pay laeng.

Ania ti mabalinko nga aramiden, Apo Abogado? Awan ti pangalaak iti pangsuportarko kadagiti annakko. Nakaron ti problemami a pinansial ta talaga a saanen a mangmangted ni Max iti suporta. --Joy

Kolum

AGRIKULTURA: Panagtaraken iti Kalding, Napintas Met a Panguartaan

Patgek a Joy,

Makipagriknaak kenka ket kayatko nga ibaga a saan nga umno wenno maiparbeng ti ar-aramiden ni Max kadakayo nga agiina. Obligasionna ti mangted iti suporta kadakayo pinansial man wenno moral. Daytoy ket nakaro a pananglabsing ni Max iti kaugaliantayo a Filipino nangnangruna kadagiti paglintegantayo. Ti padre de pamilia ket adda obligasionna a mangsuportar iti asawa ken dagiti annakna. Ti pagdaksanna, ad-adda a pinili ni Max ti babaina ngem dakayo. Ngarud, mabalinmo ti mangipila iti kaso a sibil wenno kriminal a maikontra ken ni Max. Mabalinmo met a paggiddanen nga ipila dagitoy a kaso no kayatmo. Tapno saanmon a problemaen ti pagbayadmo iti abogado mabalinmo  ti agpatulong iti Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), iti lokal a chapter ti Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) wenno kadagiti grupo dagiti abogado a mangipapaay iti libre a serbisio legal. Isudan ti mangted kenka iti abogado a mangtulong kenka iti kasom. Ti umuna nga aramiden ti abogadom ket ti mangipatulod iti demand letter ken ni Max tapno mapuersa isuna a mangaramid iti obligasionna babaen ti panangitedna iti suporta wenno sustento  kadakayo.

No saan latta a mangted iti suporta wenno sustento ni Max numan pay naawatnan ti demand letter, mabalinmom, babaen ti tulong ti abogadom, ti mangipila iti kaso a kas nadakamatkon – ti kaso a sibil, ken ti kaso a kriminal.

Unaek nga ilawlawag daytoy civil case wenno kaso a sibil.

Ti civil case wenno kaso a sibil a mabalinmo nga ipila kontra ken ni Max ket ti makunkuna a Petition for Support nga ipilam iti Regional Trial Court (RTC) iti lugaryo. Tulongannaka ti abogadom kadagiti masapul nga aramidem tapno mangabakka iti kasom.

Dagiti sumaganad a paglintegan ti pagibasaram iti dayta kaso a sibil:

 Article 194 of the Family Code provides that “support comprises everything indispensable for sustenance, dwelling, clothing, medical attendance, education and transportation, in keeping with the financial capacity of the family.”

On the other hand, Article 195 of the Family Code stresses that parents are legally required to support their children.

When it comes to child support, Articles 195 and 196 of the Family Code enumerate the people 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; and

(5) Legitimate brothers and sisters, whether of full or half-blood.

Maibatay iti paglintegan, ti suporta ket kadagupan dagiti importante a bambanag a mangsustener iti biag a kas iti balay, taraon, aruaten, pannakatagiben ti salun-at, edukasion, transportasion ken dadduma pay a makuna a “living expenses” wenno dagiti kasapulantayo iti inaldaw-aldaw a panagbiagtayo. Daytoy a suporta  ket maibatay laeng no ania ti kabaelan ti maysa a tao nga obligado a mangsuportar iti asawa ken dagiti annakna. Iti kasom Joy, ni Max nga asawam ket obligasionna a suportarannaka ken dagiti annakyo. Gapu ta sika ket agtagibalay, daytoy ti makuna a tulongmo iti pamiliam. Sika ti mangkitkita iti pagsayaatan ti pamiliam nangnangruna kadagiti annakyo kabayatan ti kaawan ni Max ta maysa ngarud nga OFW isuna.

Nakalawlawag iti paglintegan a dagiti agassawa ket obligado a suportaranda ti maysa ken maysa ket dagiti nagannak, masapul a suportaranda dagiti annakda, legitimate man wenno illegitimate nangnangruna dagiti annak a menor de edad wenno dagiti annak a saanda a kabaelan a suportaran ti bagbagida gapu iti sakit, pisikal man wenno mental.

Laglagipem, Joy, a ti korte ti mangikeddeng no mano ti kantidad a masapul nga ited ni Max a suporta kenka ken kadagiti annakyo. Ti maited a suporta ket maibatay iti no ania ti kabaelan ni Max, no mano ti sueldona ken dadduma pay a pagibasaran. Mabalin nga agpirmakayo ken Max iti Compromise Agreement nga aprobaran ti korte nga aglaon kadagiti nagtulaganyo a kas koma iti no mano ti ited ni Max a suporta kadakayo iti binulan, kasano wenno sadino ti pakaiteden daytoy a suporta ken dadduma pay.

Wen, Joy, mabalinmo ti mangipila iti kaso a kriminal maikontra ken ni Max gapu ta ti intensional a saanna a panangited iti suporta wenno sustento kadakayo ket makuna nga economic abuse ken psychological abuse a masarakan iti Sections 5 ken 6 iti Republic Act 9262 wenno Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 (VAWC).

Ipilam daytoy a kaso iti Office of the Prosecutor iti lugaryo. Manen, mabalinmo ti mangala iti libre nga abogado manipud iti PAO, DSWD, IBP wenno dagiti grupo dagiti abogado a mangipapaay iti libre a serbisio legal.

Daytoy VAWC, inlawlawagna ti sakupen ti panagabuso kadagiti babbai manipud iti pisikal a panagabuso iti seksual, economic ken psychological.  Ti saan a panangited ti ama iti pinansial a suporta kadagiti annakna, legitimate man wenno illegitimate ket maysa a porma ti economic abuse iti VAWC.

Maibatay iti VAWC, daytoy a pannakapaay a panangited iti pinansial a suporta ket masapul nga intensional wenno naigagara tapno makontrol ken malimitaran ti ama  ti garaw wenno aktibidad ti asawana wenno dagiti annakda.

Uray ti panangbutbuteng ti ama wenno ti aktual a saanna a panangited iti suporta wenno panangrespetar iti kalintegan ti asawana ken dagiti annakda ket maysan a pananglabsing iti VAWC. 

Daytoy a paglintegan ket saan a limitado kadagiti agassawa nga adda annakda ngamin sakupenna ti amin a relasion a ti lalaki ket adda anakna wenno annakna iti maysa a babai ket dayta a lalaki, intensional a saan a mangit-ited iti pinansial a suportana iti anak wenno dagiti annakna iti dayta a babai. Ngamin maibatay iti VAWC, obligasion ti maysa a lalaki a suportaran ti anak wenno dagiti annakna. Ket no sikakasar dayta a lalaki kas ken ni Max a sikakasar kenka, Joy, karbengam a suportarannaka ni Max ken dagiti annakyo maibatay iti kabaelan ni Max a pangsustento kadakayo agingga a mapagturposna dagiti annakyo iti kolehio wenno agingga a masapulda ti pinansial a suporta ni Max. Kayatna a sawen, dagiti paggastosanyo iti balayyo, masida, agas, medisina, edukasion, transportasion ken dadduma pay a makuna a “living expenses” wenno dagiti pagbiagyo iti inaldaw-aldaw. No kas pagarigan agkurang dayta a suporta, maysa pay daytoy a pananglabsing iti VAWC. 

Manen, iti saan a panangsuportar ni Max kadakayo, maysa pay a psychological abuse daytoy aglalo no agresulta daytoy iti mental wenno emosional a pannakaparigat, pannakairurumen, pannakaidadanes wenno pannakaibabainmo ken dagiti annakyo.  

Dagiti sumaganad a paglintegan ken desision ti Korte Suprema ket suportaranna dagiti naibalakadko kenka:

Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women & Children Act of 2004 (“VAWC”) is a milestone legislation for women in the Philippines. It recognized that abuse is not limited merely to the traditional physical violence, but it can also take the form of sexual, economic and psychological maltreatment.

Failure to Give Child Support as a Form of Economic Abuse

A form of violence against women and their children is economic abuse, which includes deprivation or withdrawal of financial support to the common child with the purpose or effect of controlling or restricting the woman or her child’s movement or conduct. Specifically, failure to give support to one’s child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, is penalized as economic abuse under Sec. 5 (e) of VAWC, to wit:

“SECTION 5. Acts of Violence Against Women and Their Children.- The crime of violence against women and their children is committed through any of the following acts:

x x x

(e) Attempting to compel or compelling the woman or her child to engage in conduct which the woman or her child has the right to desist from or desist from conduct which the woman or her child has the right to engage in, or attempting to restrict or restricting the woman’s or her child’s freedom of movement or conduct by force or threat of force, physical or other harm or threat of physical or other harm, or intimidation directed against the woman or child. This shall include, but not limited to, the following acts committed with the purpose or effect of controlling or restricting the woman’s or her child’s movement or conduct:

x x x

(2) Depriving or threatening to deprive the woman or her children of financial support legally due her or her family, or deliberately providing the woman’s children insufficient financial support;

(3) Depriving or threatening to deprive the woman or her child of a legal right; x x x” [Emphasis and underscoring supplied]

In the case of Acharon vs. People, G.R. No. 224946, 09 November 2021, the elements of economic abuse under Section 5(e) of the VAWC  are as follows:

1.       The offended party is a woman and/or her child;

2.      The woman is ether the wife or former wife of the offender, or is a woman with whom the offender has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or is a woman with whom such offender has a common child. As for the woman’s child or children, they may be legitimate or illegitimate, or living within or without the family abode;

3.      The offender either (a) deprived or (b) threatened to deprive the woman or her children of financial support legally due her or her family or (c) deliberately provided the woman’s children insufficient financial support;

4.      The offender committed any or all of the acts under the third element for the purpose of controlling or restricting the woman’s or her child’s movement or conduct.

It must be emphasized that mere failure to provide support does NOT justify a conviction of economic abuse since those entitled to support can file a civil case for support.  In order to justify a criminal conviction of economic abuse, the failure to give financial support  must have been done with the purpose of controlling or restricting the woman’s movement or conduct.

Take note that as enunciated in the case of Socorro vs. Van Wilsem, G.R. No. 193707, 10 December 2014, the deprivation or denial of financial support to the child is considered as a continuing offense.

Pursuant to Sec. 6 (c) of the VAWC, economic abuse under Sec. 5 (e) is punishable with imprisonment of prison correccional which ranges from 6 months and 1 day to 6 years imprisonment.

Failure to Give Child Support as a Form of Psychological Violence

Failure to give child support may also be considered as a form of psychological violence. Sec, 5(i) of the VAWC provides:

“SECTION 5. Acts of Violence Against Women and Their Children.- The crime of violence against women and their children is committed through any of the following acts:

x x x

(i) Causing mental or emotional anguish, public ridicule or humiliation to the woman or her child, including, but not limited to, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, and denial of financial support or custody of minor children of access to the woman’s child/children.” [Emphasis and underscoring supplied]

As held in Dinamling vs. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 199522, 22 June 2015, the elements of such crime are:

(1) The offended party is a woman and/or her child or children;

(2) The woman is either the wife or former wife of the offender or is a woman with whom the offender has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or is a woman with whom such offender has a common child. As for the woman’s child or children, they may be legitimate or illegitimate, or living within or without the family abode;

(3) The offender causes on the woman and/or child mental or emotional anguish; and

(4) The anguish is caused through acts of public ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, denial of financial support or custody of minor children or access to the children or similar such acts or omissions.

This act is different from economic abuse punishable under Art. 5(e) of the VAWC. Two indispensable requirements must be shown namely: psychological violence as the means employed by the perpetrator and emotional/mental anguish as the effect. Thus, in Melgar vs. People, G.R. No. 223477, 14 February 2018, the Supreme Court ruled:

“Section 5 (i) of RA 9262, a form of psychological violence, punishes the act of “causing mental or emotional anguish, public ridicule or humiliation to the woman or her child, including, but not limited to, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, and denial of financial support or custody of minor children or denial of access to the woman’s child/children.” Notably, “[p]sychological violence is an element of violation of Section 5 (i) just like the mental or emotional anguish caused on the victim. Psychological violence is the means employed by the perpetrator, while mental or emotional anguish is the effect caused to or the damage sustained by the offended party. To establish psychological violence as an element of the crime, it is necessary to show proof of commission of any of the acts enumerated in Section 5 (i) or similar acts. And to establish mental or emotional anguish, it is necessary to present the testimony of the victim as such experiences are personal to this party. Thus, in cases of support, it must be first shown that the accused’s denial thereof – which is, by itself, already a form of economic abuse – further caused mental or emotional anguish to the woman-victim and/or to their common child. ” [Emphasis and underscoring supplied]

This type of psychological violence is punished more severely with imprisonment of prison mayor [Sec. 6 (f) of the VAWC] with a range of 6 years and 1 day to 12 years imprisonment.

Sapay koma ta saanen a kumaro ti kasasaadyo ket suportarannakayon ni Max para iti pagimbagan dagiti annakyo. Ngem nasaysayaat no malawlawaganen ni Max tapno agsublin kadakayo ken mamimpinsanen a panawanna ti babaina.—Apo Abogado

(Palagip: Kadagiti legal a saludsodyo, ag-e-mail-kayo ken ni Apo Abogado iti [email protected] wenno saan, mabalinyo nga ipatulod babaen ti koreo iti: Apo Abogado, Bannawag Magazine, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp., Muralla cor. Recoletos Sts., Intramuros, Manila. Ilanad met iti suratyo ti adres ken numero ti selponyo. Saan a maipablaak ti pudno a nagan ti nagsurat malaksid no adda pammalubos daytoy.)