Divorce bill an uphill battle – Tulfo

MANILA, Philippines — While a Senate panel has approved a consolidated measure that provides for absolute divorce based on various grounds, Sen. Raffy Tulfo has expressed belief that the proposal is facing an “uphill battle” in the upper chamber.

Tulfo, one of the senators who signed the committee report recommending the passage of the divorce bill, said religion is a big factor why other members of the Senate would not support the legal dissolution of marriage.

“I think religion is one big factor. We are all religious. Because of religion, we don’t have divorce as their pastors would lobby not to support it. They cannot go against the church,” he told “The Chiefs” on OneNewsPh last Saturday night.

He added that he could not say who among the remaining 23 senators would support the divorce bill. Committee Report No. 124, which recommended the passage of the measure, was signed by Tulfo, its author Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda and Senators Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Robinhood Padilla and Grace Poe.

Although they signed the committee report, Poe and Cayetano indicated their intentions to interpellate and introduce amendments to the proposed measure.

Tulfo, who has a television show, said he is in favor of the proposed divorce bill after he received and continues to receive complaints about husbands maltreating and abusing their wives.

“I’m in favor of divorce due to the number of complaints of husbands beating their wives. The wives wanted to file annulment, but it’s an expensive and long process. It’s difficult for a woman to move on. She can’t live with another man as she might be sued,” he added.

For the senator, a marriage can be dissolved only with strong reasons like the wife being abused by the husband who is a drunkard, womanizer, addict and the like.

Last week, the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality approved a consolidated measure that provides for absolute divorce based on various grounds, including five years of separation, whether continuous or broken, and the commission of the crime of rape before or after marriage.