Bills on marriage, civil unions gift to Filipinos

CEBU, Philippines — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is optimistic that the two pending bills that he authored, one  for easier dissolution of marriage and another one for the protection of couples in civil partnership, will be approved by the House of Representative on third and final reading before their Christmas break.

"This will be our gift to our people," said Alvarez in a press conference the other day in Cebu.

Alvarez said the two proposed bills are now pending before the House committee on family relations.

He explained that the bill on dissolution of marriage (HB 6027) will make it easier for couples who are no longer happy with each other to file for dissolution of their union even without a lawyer as both can directly submit a joint petition in court and the judge will approve it as part of its ministerial duty.

One ground for the dissolution is “severe and chronic unhappiness.”

"Daghan kaayo gusto ani nga  bill and once mahimo nani siyang usa ka balaod, simple ug less expensive ang pag-dissolve sa kaminyo kay ang ground ani is unhappiness," Alvarez explained. (A lot of people want this bill because once this becomes a law, dissolution of marriage will be simple and less expensive because the ground is unhappiness.)

He explained that this measure will instead strengthen marriage as couples will strive to make each other happy.

As for the civil partnership bill, Alvarez explained that this will give rights and protection to a man and a woman who are living together but do not want to get married as well as those same-sex couples were cannot marry each other.

He said this kind of set up is not being protected under the current laws.

The Civil Partnership Act (HB 6595), once approved, will allow consenting adults “of either the same or opposite sex” to form “civil partnership couples” that enjoy “all benefits and protections granted to spouses in a marriage.”

"Obligasyon ug responsibilidad sa gobyerno nga iyahang protektahan ang tanang katawhan sa nasud," said Alvarez. (It is the state’s responsibility to protect its people.)

As to the possibility of an opposition from the Catholic Church,  Alvarez said the church must respect that it is the government's obligation and responsibility to protect its constituents.

"Akong hangyo sa simbahan nga isig respitahay lang ta. Ang responsibilidad sa gobyerno ngadto sa katawhan dili mamili og relihiyon. Kung ang simbahang Katoliko supak, e-preach na nila sa ilang mga miyembro nga dili e-avail ang maong balaod kay  supak sa ilang tinuuhan. Pero ayaw idamay ang ubang relihiyon," Alvarez said. (I’m asking the church to respect other religion.  If the Catholic church is against it, let them preach and tell their people not to avail of the law.)

Alvarez added an unhappy person is an unproductive citizen. (FREEMAN)