Lapid files bill granting status to foundlings

Foundlings like Senator Grace Poe may never have a problem about their citizenship if ever the bill filed by Senator Lito Lapid is enacted into law.

In Senate Bill 2844 or "An Act Affording Status to a Deserted or Abandoned Child with Unknown Parents," Lapid proposed that the foundling be recognized as a child of the person who found him or her.

"This measure seeks to correct the inequity created by irresponsible parents who chose to abandon their child to live with undefined status in the society," he said.

He explained that most of the matters related with the legal status of a child depend upon the parents and the fact of his legitimacy, the nature of his citizenship, and the manner by which he may conduct himself with his society are dictated to the most extent by the status of his parents.

"A child of married parents is legitimate while those born out of wedlock are illegitimate. Though born illegitimate, a child may bear the father's name. Children of Filipino parents are citizens of the Philippines," he said.

He added these matters may readily be discerned not only because there are laws governing the same, but also most importantly the identities of the parents are established.

"But how about infants left to be found in the doors of churches and trash cans, which have been common nowadays? What about those children who have been abandoned who never had any idea of how their parents look lest knew the identities of the people who brought them to life?" Lapid asked.

He said it has been unfair for the foundling to be left to fend for themselves at a very young age and worse, much of the opportunities related with status may not be available to them.

"For all legal intents and purposes, a foundling shall be recognized as the child of the founder from the time of his birth, provided that the foundling has lived and depended with the founder until the foundling reaches the age of majority; and provided further that the founder and the foundling has conducted as and made known themselves to be parent and child to their community," Lapid said in the bill.

He also said that if the founder is married at the time the foundling was discovered, the foundling shall be considered the child of the founder and his spouse.

He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Justice and the Philippine Statistics Authority should promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the efficient implementation of the law.

The issue on citizenship of foundlings surfaced after the questions were raised on the eligibility of Poe to seek higher elected post.

Poe was abandoned at the Jaro Church in Iloilo and adopted by actress Susan Roces and the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. —Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News