Is my child's name kept out of the news if we file a case?
Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Only under three conditions, and it's not automatic. RA 7610 §29 says the offended party's name "may be withheld from the public" — but only at the offended party's own instance (someone has to request it), only from the public (not from the accused), and only "until the court acquires jurisdiction over the case," after which the protection ends.
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Frequently asked
Who has to ask for this — do I need to request it myself?
§29 places it "at the instance of the offended party," so it isn't automatic protection built into the process — it depends on that request being made.
Does this keep my child's identity from the accused too?
No — §29 withholds the name from the public specifically. It doesn't describe withholding the name from the accused, who is a party to the case.
Is there anything with a stronger, longer-lasting confidentiality guarantee?
RA 9262 §44 (the adult VAWC statute) makes case records confidential more broadly and penalizes a breach with up to 1 year imprisonment and a fine of up to ₱500,000 — but that's a different statute governing adult VAWC records, not the §29 protection for a child's name in an RA 7610 case.
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How a child can be protected under RA 7610 without either parent's cooperation — who besides a parent may file, DSWD's immediate protective custody, the limits of a child's name being kept out of the public record, and the DSWD i-GRS online route.