Palace: President Duterte is Against on Divorce Law

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Manila Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte is against the proposed Divorce law, said Malacanang on Monday. 

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque confirmed it that Duterte believes when approving the bill it would be very bad for the children situation of having separated couples and while spouses on seeking legal actions against their respective partners. 

“Ang Presidente po ay tutol sa divorce. Ang sabi niya, kawawa ang mga anak at kung magkakaroon ng divorce mawawalan ng karapatang magsampa ng kaso ang mga asawa na pinabayaan ng asawa nila matapos ang divorce,” Roque said in a news conference in Camarines Sur.

The Philippines and the Vatican remain as the only states in the world where divorce is outlawed. Annulments are legal in the Philippines, but the process is costly and could take years. 

What we need to know about DIVORCE LAW 

The proposed divorce law provides that the state shall ensure inexpensive and affordable court proceedings in securing an absolute divorce decree. 

It also seeks to provide for the grounds on the grant of an absolute divorce decree to include grounds for legal separation and annulment of marriage under the Family Code of the Philippines, separation in fact for at least 5 years, legal separation by judicial decree for at least 2 years, psychological incapacity, gender reassignment surgery, irreconcilable differences and joint petition of spouses.

The Divorce Bill will prioritize overseas Filipino Workers. It will also provide for mandatory 6 months cooling off period for petitioner spouses, during which there will be no action on a petition 6 months after one is filed. 

A 2015 Social Weather Stations survey found that three in five Filipinos favor legalizing divorce.


Based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution, on Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State.

The Church is all for the protection of rights especially of the aggrieved parties in marriage. But protection of rights should go hand in hand with upholding our cherished institutions like marriage. he added.

But from Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, one who wrote the bill, one of its priority and the purpose of the Bill is simply due to some spouses who had bad marriages.

"Having a divorce (bill) in a country does not make people rush into it," she said on Wednesday. "Let's legalize it na para maayos na, para 'di magkaroon ng problems sa properties. Mas maayos ang relationship because it ended."

Cayetano also believes the House has a possible chance to approved the Bill.

SENATE STAND REGARDING DIVORCE LAW

While the divorce bill has been passed on Congress, Sotto said he is unaware of any counterpart bill in the Senate. He said that amending the grounds for annulment of marriage might be approved faster.

Like Sotto, Senators Joel Villanueva, Panfilo Lacson, and Francis Escudero also disagrees with the passing of the bill. 

"I am strongly against divorce. Instead, I am pushing to make the country’s annulment laws simplified and not anti-poor," Villanueva said.

"I am in favor of making the existing process of annulment under the Civil Code and the Family Code more affordable and accessible instead of expanding the grounds provides therein via a new law on 

'divorce'," Escudero said.

Although he is not a proponent of legalizing divorce, Lacson said he is open to reviewing proposed measures.


"At the outset, no. I'm willing to see the salient features of the House bill and whatever bill might be filed in the Senate though. My primary concern is the sanctity of marriage. Needless to say, I don't want marriage and separation to be a 'dime a dozen' affair," he said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, said he supports a divorce bill on grounds of violence and physical abuse


"I believe the justified reasons for divorce would include violence, abuse, pananakit (physical abuse)," he said.



Source: ABSCBN, Interaksyon