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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Wednesday, March 21, 2018
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MANILA – Several senators were not exactly keen on divorce, much less on supporting a bill legalizing it.
Some of them dismissed it outright – one called it unconstitutional while another said there was “no chance” for such measure to get Senate approval.
Others were circumspect but more inclined toward making the process of marriage annulment more convenient.
Earlier the House of Representatives approved House Bill 7303, which legalizes divorce in the Philippines – currently the only country in the world aside from Vatican City where divorce is illegal.
A divorce bill has yet to be filed in the Senate, said Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
“Ako, personally, I can speak for myself only, ang malaki ang pag-asang mapag-usapan dito would be the additional grounds for annulment,” Sotto said.
Richard Gordon believes divorce is unconstitutional.
“Ako, I think, it will violate the Constitution because nakalagay doon marriage is a social institution that the government should try and protect,” Gordon said.
President Rodrigo Duterte himself is against divorce. According to his spokesman, Harry Roque, the President believes children are at the losing end.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the no-fault, or “American-style,” divorce – the type that allows a couple to end their marriage even without any wrongful act committed by their spouse – has “no chance” of getting passed in the Senate.
“According to (House) Speaker (Panaleon Alvarez), they are passing not only divorce. Basahin daw namin iyong pinasa. There is a new concept for dissolution of marriage,” said Pimentel, whose marriage with Jewel May Lobaton was declared null and void just this January.
“Doon kami dapat mag-maintain ng open mind kasi iyong divorce meron sa America ay no-fault divorce. Ibig sabihin noon, nagsawa sila sa isa’t isa, they will dissolve the marriage. No chance sa ’Pinas ’yan,” he stressed.
Divorce is unnecessary, Nancy Binay said, noting that there are already legal remedies a married couple may consider if and when they want to end their marriage.
“I-amend na lang natin ang annulment process,” she said. “There is no need for divorce kasi may remedy na naman so kailangan siguro na i-amend na lang iyon.”
Francis Escudero expects a lengthy debate on the subject in the Upper House.
“Siguro 50-50 ang laban niyan sa Senado ’pag dumating iyong debate at botohan,” Escudero said.
But the senator said he would support a bill that will make annulment more efficient.
In 2012 Escudero confirmed on national television that his marriage with Christine Elizabeth Flores had been annulled. He has remarried to actress Heart Evangelista.
For his part, Juan Edgardo Angara lamented that filing for an annulment is “painful,” “tedious” and “expensive.”
“E paano naman ang mga mahihirap? There is a violation of equal protection right there. It should be equal opportunity,” Angara said.
Angara did not dismiss a divorce law outright – he said he will announce his stand on divorce when such bill is filed in the Senate.
Risa Hontiveros said she is engaging a wide range of stakeholders on the issue.
Among them are “families, women and men … youth and children,” she said.
Juan Miguel Zubiri, for his part, said he believes in the sanctity of marriage.
“I really believe that you make the right decision from the beginning,” he said. “If they (couple) cannot work it out, there are other avenues (other than divorce) to go to.”
Manny Pacquiao is another senator against divorce.
Defending his stand, Pacquiao – also a renowned boxer who had been romantically linked to women other than his wife – quoted the Bible verse Matthew 19:6: “What God joined together, let no one separate.”
“Maraming sirang marriages kasi hindi nila alam iyong rights ng bawat isa,” he added./PN
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