Cayetano says no to divorce

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has expressed opposition to the proposed divorce law but favors the passage of the measures to ease the dissolution of “impossible marriages.”

“I want to be truthful to you, I am against divorce,” he said during a mass wedding ceremony in Parañaque City last Valentine’s Day.

Cayetano cited as basis for such stand his marriage vow with wife and fellow Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano, where he promised the pastor that they will never consider separation.

The House leader, a devout Born Again Christian, also argued that the “family is the basic unit” of society that must be protected.

Cayetano said that cases of “impossible marriages” – where one of the couple is being maltreated by the other – could be understandable but are not enough for the passage of divorce in the country.

He bared that he suggested to the House committee on population and family relations to study “how to ease the dissolution of impossible marriages, but not divorce, since it will lead to no-fault divorce.”

He warned the people that legalizing divorce could lead to abuses in the law, including couples availing of no-fault divorce similar to the law in the US.

“My personal view is once you file for divorce, that will lead to no-fault divorce,” he explained, but stressed that he would not impose his position on colleagues in Congress.

He believes that divorce where the dissolution of marriage does not require a showing of wrongdoing by either party could bring “more problems than solutions.”

“If one of them separated and abandoned his family only to marry again, it might cause more problems than solutions,” he argued.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, author of one of three divorce bills approved by the panel earlier this month, earlier assured the people that the measure has very strict requirements that would not allow couples to divorce for mere convenience.

For instance, the lawmaker said the proposed law will assign a prosecutor to determine within six months upon filing of the divorce petition whether the grounds are valid or if there is collusion between parties.

He said the court will also apply the judicial dispute resolution mechanism and try to reconcile the parties within this six-month period.

Lagman argued that divorce is necessary because the current options under the Family Code – legal separation, annulment of marriage and declaration of nullity – do not give complete relief to qualified parties.

He explained that legal separation, while allowing grounds existing during the marriage, only grants separation “in bed and board” and does not grant severance of marriage bond.

Annulment, on the other hand, would allow re-marriage but only on grounds prior to or simultaneous to solemnization of marriage. – Edu Punay, Robertzon Ramirez

During the previous 17th Congress, the House approved absolute divorce and dissolution of marriage bill on third and final reading. However, it did not get the same approval from the Senate.  

Proponents in the House are hopeful that the measure would move in the Senate in this 18th Congress.

An official of the Catholic Church called yesterday on the youth to come out and speak against efforts to revive death penalty and to pass measures that would ruin the sanctity of family such as divorce and same-sex union during the “Walk for Life” event in Quezon City.  

In his homily, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said that the youth should participate in social causes as the revival of death penalty and the passage of divorce and same-sex marriage will put their future in peril. 

He said that the youth will be greatly affected by the passage of divorce, which would weaken marriage. 

Pabillo, recently appointed as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila, said that the discussions on the sacredness of marriage, life and love should also be shared and brought to social media and other platforms to create public opinion.

“Everybody of us has a chance to speak and that is social media. Everybody, the many lay (faithful), if all will speak, then we will create public opinion all over the country because their faith is speaking,” he added. 

Pabillo, a known critic of President Duterte, said that the Catholic Church and the faithful should share the same point of view and oppose the revival of the death penalty and the passage of divorce and same sex marriage. 

In fighting for life, Pabillo also urged the public not only to fight for the persecution of those who are responsible for such wrongdoings, but should also to help the victims recover from their losses, especially those who have lost their loved ones in the bloody drug war of the government.