House OKs divorce bill on second reading

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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Saturday, March 17, 2018
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MANILA – The bill that seeks to introduce absolute divorce and dissolution of marriage in the Philippines continues to accelerate in the House of Representatives. It was approved on second reading.

Via viva voce voting on Wednesday evening, the Lower House okayed House Bill 7303, or the proposed “Act Instituting Absolute Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage in the Philippines.”

Albay’s Cong. Edcel Lagman said the bill provides for the institution of “absolute divorce” as judicially decreed after an irremediably broken marital union or marriage.

“After the divorce becomes effective, the marriage bonds will be severed and the former spouses will have the right to marry another person either by civil or religious ceremony,” said Lagman.

“The proceedings for the grant of absolute divorce will be affordable and inexpensive, particularly for indigent litigants and petitioners,” added Lagman, who also said the bill is not in conflict with provisions on marriage in the 1987 Constitution.

Among the grounds on the granting of an absolute divorce as stated in the measure are:

* the grounds for legal separation and annulment of marriage under the Family Code of the Philippines

* separation in fact for at least five years

* legal separation by judicial decree for at least two years

* psychological incapacity

* gender reassignment surgery

* irreconcilable differences

* joint petition of spouses

Also stated in the bill is a mandatory six-month cooling-off period, wherein the court will not start the trial for absolute divorce after the filing of the petition for six months for a possibility of reconciliation.

The bill also provides an option for a one-time grant of alimony, option for delivering the presumptive legitimate, or the portion of a parent’s estate which he or she cannot give to the children as inheritance, if the spouses are still living.

In case the bill is signed into law, the Philippines will be among the countries in the world, except Vatican, to allow divorce./PN
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