MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has refiled a bill seeking to impose penalties on children who willfully neglect or abandon their aging, ill, or incapacitated parents.

Senate Bill No. 396, also known as the proposed Parents Welfare Act of 2025, emphasizes shared responsibility between children and the government in caring for the elderly.

“This proposed bill therefore seeks to further strengthen filial responsibility and to make it a criminal offense in case of flagrant violation thereof. Abandonment of a parent in need of support shall likewise constitute a criminal act,” Lacson said in the explanatory note.

Under the measure, children are mandated to support their parents who are unable to provide for themselves—either due to financial insufficiency, physical or mental incapacity, or other similar reasons. The bill clarifies that this obligation also extends to grandchildren in cases where their parents are unable to fulfill the responsibility due to death, illness, or disability.

Support can be fulfilled either through regular financial assistance as specified by a court-issued “support order,” or by housing and maintaining the parent within the family residence.

The financial burden among multiple children will be divided based on each one’s capacity to contribute, ensuring a just and equitable distribution.

The bill outlines that petitions for support may be filed before the regional trial court in the parent’s place of residence. Parents will be represented free of charge by the Public Attorney’s Office, and no filing fees will be required.

To preserve family unity, the court must first refer the parties to mediation through a conciliation officer before proceeding with the petition.

If a child fails to comply with a support order without valid reason, the court may enforce compliance through asset garnishment. Repeated failure—specifically, non-compliance for three consecutive months without justifiable cause—may lead to imprisonment of one to six months or a fine of ₱100,000.

The bill also imposes harsher penalties for those who assume responsibility for the care of a parent but then abandon them. Such actions could result in imprisonment ranging from six to 10 years and a fine of ₱300,000.

The proposed legislation aims to reinforce respect, accountability, and care within families, particularly for society’s most vulnerable members.