Relasyon ng lehitimong anak at magulang

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | September 3, 2025

Dear Chief Acosta,

May nakapagsabi sa akin na tanging ang tatay lamang ang maaaring magkuwestiyon sa isyu patungkol sa filiation o relasyon bilang tunay na magulang ng isang bata. Kaugnay nito, nais kong malaman kung may katotohanan ba ito at kung meron bang eksepsyon kung saan maaaring ang bata ang kukuwestiyon sa kanyang filiation upang maitaguyod ang kanyang tunay o biological na ama/magulang? -- Haruka

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Dear Haruka, 

Ang sagot sa iyong katanungan ay matatagpuan sa mga kaugnay na kaso ng Korte Suprema at probisyon ng ating mga batas, espesipiko ang Artikulo 170 at 171 ng Executive Order No. 209, o mas kilala sa tawag na “Family Code of the Philippines,” na inilalahad ang mga sumusunod:

“ARTICLE 170. The action to impugn the legitimacy of the child shall be brought within one year from the knowledge of the birth or its recording in the civil register, if the husband or, in a proper case, any of his heirs, should reside in the city or municipality where the birth took place or was recorded. xxxx.

ARTICLE 171. The heirs of the husband may impugn the filiation of the child within the period prescribed in the preceding article xxx.” 

Sa madaling salita, ang sinasabi ng mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas ay tanging ang asawang lalaki, at sa mga pambihirang pagkakataon, ang kanyang mga tagapagmana, ang maaaring magkuwestiyon o tumuligsa sa pagpapalagay ng pagiging lehitimo ng isang batang ipinanganak ng kanyang asawa. 

Ganoon pa man, ibinahagi ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman sa kasong Yap vs. Yap (G.R. No. 222259, 17 October 2022), sa panulat ni Honorable Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, na hindi kailanman layunin ng mga mambabatas (noong ginawa nila ang parehong New Civil Code at Family Code) na iangat ang presumption of legitimacy sa isang posisyon na mas mataas kaysa sa isang napatunayang katotohanan. Dahil dito, upang mapagsilbihan ang pinakamahusay na interes ng bata, siya ay pinahintulutan sa nasabing kaso na patunayan at itatag ang kanyang tunay na ama/magulang o filiation:

“To hastily dismiss a petition to establish filiation (under Articles 172, in relation to 175, of the family Code) merely because Articles 170 and 171 only allow the husband or his heirs to impugn the child’s legitimate status unjustifiably limits the instances when a child’s filiation with his/her biological father may be established. As will be discussed below, it was never the intent of the legislators (when they crafted both the Civil Code and the Family Code) to elevate the presumption of legitimacy to a position higher than a proven fact. Xxx

The presumption that a child born in wedlock is legitimate is only a disputable presumption. This presumption may be overthrown using the grounds enumerated in Article 166 of the Family Code. One of these grounds, as previously mentioned, is biological or scientific proof. Since Bernie is willing to undergo DNA testing to overcome this disputable presumption of the child’s legitimate status this Court finds it proper to afford him an opportunity to present this fact (if proven). 

xxx in this day and age, the theory that only the father is affected by the infidelity of the wife no longer holds true. The circumstances under which these children are conceived and born have an impact on their rights and privileges. Filiation proceedings are instituted not only for the purpose of determining paternity. These proceedings are also filed "to secure a legal right associated with paternity, such as citizenship, support . . . or inheritance xxx 

Further, this Court emphasizes that being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, “the Philippines has bound itself to abide by [the] universal standards on children's rights embodied” in the Convention.  Among the obligations which the Philippines undertook is to ensure that in actions concerning children, their best interests shall be the primary consideration: xxx. 

In this case, it would be antithetical to the best interests of the child should the Petition be denied based merely on the archaic view that only the husband is “directly confronted with the scandal and ridicule which the infidelity of his wife produces.” The best interest of the child is to allow petitioner to prove and establish her true filiation.” 

Hinggil sa nabanggit, bilang eksepsyon sa karaniwang panuntunan na tanging ang tatay lamang ang maaaring magkuwestiyon o tumuligsa sa filiation ng isang bata, ayon sa Kataas-taasang Hukuman, kung ang pinakamahusay na interes ng bata ay makakamit sa pagbibigay kakayahan sa bata na hamunin ang nasabing pagpapalagay ng pagiging lehitimong anak ng asawa ng kanyang ina, ito ay dapat pahintulutan gamit ang mga pamamaraang pinapayagan ng batas tulad ng DNA testing. 

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

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.