Short answer. Yes. A parent who, without valid reason, refuses to cooperate in the treatment and rehabilitation of a minor drug dependent — or who prevents or delays the after-care and follow-up programs — may be cited for contempt by the court. The same applies to an uncooperative spouse or guardian.
What the law says
Any parent, spouse or guardian who, without valid reason, refuses to cooperate with the Board or any concerned agency in the treatment and rehabilitation of a drug dependent who is a minor
RA 9165, Section 73 — Uncooperative Parent, Spouse Or Guardian. Read the full provision →
The duty to cooperate is enforceable
The law does not treat a parent's cooperation as optional goodwill. It provides that "any parent, spouse or guardian who, without valid reason, refuses to cooperate with the Board or any concerned agency in the treatment and rehabilitation of a drug dependent who is a minor" may be cited for contempt. The obligation falls on the adults closest to the child — parent, spouse, or guardian — because a minor's recovery usually depends on the family carrying its part. The provision turns that expectation into something a court can enforce, rather than a mere plea for family support.
"Without valid reason" is built into the rule
The liability is not for every hesitation or disagreement. The words without valid reason are part of the standard, so a parent who has a genuine, legitimate ground for not cooperating is not caught by the section. What the provision targets is unjustified obstruction — a refusal to take part in a minor's rehabilitation with no real reason behind it. A court applying this would look at why the parent declined, not simply at the fact that they did. Honest incapacity or a sound objection is a different thing from stonewalling a child's treatment.
What conduct the section reaches
The provision is not limited to an outright refusal at the treatment stage. It also covers a parent who "in any manner, prevents or delays the after-care, follow-up or other programs for the welfare of the accused drug dependent." That reaches quieter forms of obstruction — dragging out or frustrating the aftercare that keeps recovery on track. And it applies whether the minor is under the voluntary submission program or the compulsory one. The law is concerned with the child's continued welfare across the whole process, not only the moment of entering a center.
Contempt, and what it is aimed at
The sanction here is being cited for contempt by the court — not a separate conviction for a drug crime. Contempt is the court's power to compel obedience to its processes, and it can carry consequences the court sets. But the point of attaching it here is corrective: to move an obstructive parent to cooperate for the sake of the minor's rehabilitation, which the law plainly puts first. A parent facing such a citation should be ready to show the valid reason the statute allows, if one exists. This is general information, not advice on a specific case.