MANILA, Philippines — A husband concealing a child born out of wedlock can be held liable for fraud, a legal basis for ending his marriage, according to a bill filed at the House of Representatives.
According to the bill’s author, 4Ps Rep. Jonathan Clement Abalos, if a wife can be held liable for hiding her being made pregnant by another man other than her husband, a parallel principle should apply to the husband.
Abalos’ House Bill No. 7060 seeks to amend a provision of the Family Code defining circumstances of fraud that could be invoked as a ground for annulment.
The proposed amendment to Article 46, Chapter 3, of the Family Code adds “concealment by the husband of the fact that at the time of the marriage, he has impregnated another person other than his wife” as another basis for annulment.
In his explanatory note, Abalos said he was pushing for the measure in “the spirit of upholding what has been provided [for] in the Constitution, that all Filipinos shall have the equal protection of the law.’’
“By providing clearer requisites and processes under the Family Code, all parties entering the institution of marriage, who shall be made accountable for similar acts, will continually enjoy the same rights and responsibilities,” he said.