Ban on group advocating short-term marriage sought

MANILA, Philippines - The party-list group ABA (Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang-Bukid at Mangingisda) has asked the Commission on Elections to ban from participation in the May 2010 party-list elections an organization advocating “short-term” marriage contracts.

Party-list Rep. Leonardo Q. Montemayor, ABA chairman, said in a statement that the proposal of the newly created Isa-AKO Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) to limit marriages to renewable ten-year periods violates the Constitution and is enough ground to disqualify or remove the party-list accreditation of the group.

“Under Sec. 12, Article II and Sec. 1, Article XV of the Constitution, the State must recognize the sanctity of family life and ensure its protection, strengthening and total development as a basic autonomous social institution and foundation of the nation,” Montemayor said.

He said Article XV Section 2 expressly requires the government to protect marriage as an “inviolable” social institution.

Montemayor said that to the ABA’s knowledge the 1-ABAA has neither a history of working for women’s interests nor the capacity to wage a national or region-wide electoral campaign. – Mayen Jaymalin, Helen Flores