Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara filed House Bill 2355 amending the Family Code for the legitimacy of children born out of wedlock. Bichara, the author of the bill, found the term ‘illegitimate’ to be ‘unsavory and odious’ to label children with unmarried parents as such. He wanted to correct this injustice in the Family Code.
Bichara referred to the definition stated in Article 164, “Illegitimate child is one conceived and born outside of a valid marriage or outside lawful wedlock while a legitimated child is one who was originally illegitimate but later considered legitimate by legal fiction because of the subsequent marriage of parents.”
He also mentioned terms such as ‘putok sa buho, anak sa labas, bastardo, bastarda’ (born out of wedlock, illegitimate child, bastard boy, bastard girl) which are used to label these children and he finds it unjust and discriminating. He also pointed out the limited rights, privileges and succession rights given to children born out of marriage, as they continue to suffer for the rest of their lives struggling to gain respect from others.
“Indeed from the day a child is born out of wedlock, he or she automatically becomes a marginalized citizen, socially and economically. More often than not, children born out of wedlock grew up under the care of a single parent, relatives, foster families or adoption homes.”
“House Bill 2355 sought to maintain and protect children as co-equal to each other without any distinction or discrimination whatsoever,” Bichara adds.