Hindi krimen ang hindi pagsustento sa asawa

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | November 9, 2022

Dear Chief Acosta,

Hindi nagsusustento ang bayaw ko sa kapatid ko na asawa niya, kahit para sa pangangailangan ng mga anak nila. Nais magsampa ng reklamo ng kapatid ko, subalit mayroong nakapagsabi sa kapatid ko na hindi naman diumano krimen ang hindi pagsusuporta. Ano ba ang maipapayo ninyo? - Helen

Dear Helen,

Ang obligasyon ng pagsusuporta ng asawa sa kanyang kabiyak at ng magulang sa kanyang anak ay nagmumula mismo sa ating Batas Sibil, partikular na sa ilalim ng Artikulo 195 ng Family Code of the Philippines. Bilang obligasyong sibil, sa pangkalahatan, ang hindi pagsusuporta ay hindi krimen. Bagama’t mayroong Republic Act (R. A.) No. 9262 o ang Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 na Batas Kriminal na nagsasaad na mayroong kaparusahan ang economic abuse sa babae na asawa o karelasyon ng inirereklamo o sa anak ng huli, kinakailangang mapatunayan na sinasadya nito ang hindi pagbibigay ng sustento upang pahirapan o para makontrol o mapigilan ang kilos ng nanghihingi ng sustento. Malinaw na nakasaad sa Sections 5 (e) and 5 (i) ng R. A. No. 9262:

“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

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; 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 x x x”

Ipinaliwanag ng ating Korte Suprema sa kasong Christian Pantonial Acharon vs. People of the Philippines (G.R. No. 224946, November 9, 2021), sa panulat ni Honorable Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, na ang hindi pagbibigay ng sustento per se ng asawa o magulang ay hindi krimen. Dapat mapatunayan ang masamang intensyon:

“While Christian eventually failed to continue providing financial support, this, however, is not enough to support a conviction under Section 5(i) of R.A. 9262. Again, to be convicted under Section 5(i), the evidence must establish beyond reasonable doubt that the accused intended to cause the victim mental or emotional anguish, or public ridicule or humiliation through the denial of - not the mere failure or inability to provide - financial support, which thereby resulted into psychological violence. x x x

The language of Section 5(e) above is clear: the denial of financial support, to be punishable, must have the "purpose or effect of controlling or restricting the woman's xx x movement or conduct." To be sure, Section 5(e) uses the word "deprive" which, like the use of the word "denial" in Section 5(i), connotes willfulness and intention. The denial or deprivation of financial support under Section 5(e) is, therefore, an intentional act that has, for its purpose, to control or restrict the woman's movement or conduct. The willful deprivation of financial support, therefore, is the actus reus of the offense, while the mens rea is the intention to control or restrict the woman's conduct. Thus, similar to the discussion in Section 5(i), Section 5(e) cannot be read as punishing the mere failure or one's inability to provide financial support, x x x.” (Emphasis supplied)

Mahalagang mayroong patunay ang iyong kapatid na ang hindi pagsusuporta ng kanyang asawa ay upang pahirapan o para makontrol o mapigilan ang kilos niya at ng kanilang anak kung nais niyang magsampa ng kasong kriminal. Kung wala siyang sapat na katibayan tungkol sa intensyon, bagkus ay ang hindi pagsusuporta ng kanyang asawa, ang pangangailangan niya ng kanyang anak at kakayahan ng kanyang asawa magsuporta lamang ang kaya niyang patunayan, kasong sibil para sa Action for Support ang kanyang maaaring ihain.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.