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Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments" id="isPasted"><img alt="People take in the sights and enjoy the attractions of the Taguig Valentine’s Park in Taguig City on February 13, 2024, the eve of Valentine’s Day. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" class="fr-fil fr-dib" src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1708509743115.png"/><figcaption>People take in the sights and enjoy the attractions of the Taguig Valentine’s Park in Taguig City on February 13, 2024, the eve of Valentine’s Day. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure><div> </div>MANILA (UPDATED) -- A bill seeking to legalize divorce in the Philippines has been elevated to the plenary of the House of Representatives.House Bill 9349, authored by 71 congressmen, was sponsored before the plenary on Tuesday.House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas and Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman, who are among the authors, expressed optimism the measure may finally be enacted into law this Congress. Lagman said there have been attempts to enact a divorce bill since the 8th Congress, but he said this time around, several lawmakers from the lower house have expressed support.<ul><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/20/house-restarts-plenary-deliberation-on-divorce-law-2045">READ: House restarts plenary deliberation on divorce law</a></li><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/21/muslim-solons-expected-to-back-divorce-bill-1429">READ: Muslim solons expected to back divorce bill</a></li></ul><div> </div>“Marami ang co-authors ng bill at marami na akong nakausap sa mga kasama na kahit hindi sila co-author, sila ay boboto in favor of the bill. At ‘yung iba naman na talagang against, ang sabi nila baka mag-abstain na lang sila… ‘Pag itong bill makalusot sa Mababang Kapulungan, kami rin ang magkakampanya sa Senado na ang counterpart bill ay kailangan. &quot;Ang pangulo mismo ay hindi opposed to a divorce law,” Lagman told the media in an interview on Wednesday.“Legacy ito kapag makapasa rito sa Kongreso. Marami-rami tayo na gusto talaga ito. Sa statistics natin, 60% of our people want divorce. Wala lang talagang available remedy na ganoon. Ang mayroon lang legal separation, nullity of marriage, annulment. In which case mahal palagi, matindi, grabe ang proseso. Isa lang ito sa remedies,” Brosas added in a separate interview.Under House Bill 9349, among the grounds for absolute divorce are: physical violence or grossly abusive conduct directed against the petitioner or a child of the petitioner, drug addiction, habitual alcoholism, or chronic gambling, homosexuality, marital infidelity, and abandonment without justifiable cause for more than one year.&quot;Hindi natin nire-recognize ang quickie divorce… ‘yung Las Vegas-type of divorce at ‘yung no-fault divorce, ito ay hindi natin tinatanggap… Ang ating divorce proceedings ay dadaan sa judicial process, ngunit may mandato ang estado na kailangan ito ay expeditious at affordable,&quot; Lagman said.&quot;Expeditious dahil binibigyan ang husgado ng isang taon lamang upang tapusin ang pag-desisyon ng divorce petition, one year after the lapse of the cooling period of 60 days,&quot; he added.“’Yung mga walang kaya sa buhay ay pwedeng mag-apply sa court assisted petitioner. Wala silang babayaran na cost at bibigyan pa sila ng professional assistance ng husgado. Iba ito sa proseso na masyadong matagal, masyadong expensive kapares ng annulment of marriage,” he added.“‘Yung mga kababaihan, especially yung mga hindi makalabas sa relasyon na matindi ang abuse sa kanila, ‘yun ang mabibigyan natin ng relief dito. Kahit ‘yung mahihirap… magandang paraan din ito para sila ay makakuha ng remedy,” Brosas, for her part, said.When marriage is dissolved, divorced spouses shall have the right to re-marry.<ul><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/09/22/23/divorce-bill-hurdles-ph-senate-committee-level">Divorce bill hurdles PH Senate committee level</a></li></ul><div> </div>During Tuesday’s plenary session, Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez expressed opposition to the divorce bill, saying it could lead to broken families and an increase in juvenile delinquency among the children of divorce couples.“This representation is 100% against absolute divorce in this country. If you go to the countries that have allowed divorce, it has opened the floodgates for broken families. When a child is only nurtured by one parent instead of two, you see juvenile delinquency, you see drug addiction and all the problems,” he said, offering legal separation and annulment as alternatives.“Wala namang scientific or database na basis para rito. Mas marami nga rito ‘yung may delinquents, pero buo pa ang pamilya at nag-aaway at nagbubugbugan ang mga magulang... Hindi ito ang litmus para sa usapin ng divorce. Kasi sabi nga natin, this is just one of the remedies. ‘Yung ganoong statement, dahil ayaw lang,” Brosas commented.“Hindi pa nagkamali ang almost 100% ng ating mga bansa na mayroon nang absolute divorce. Pinag-aralan nila ‘yan at hindi dumating sa ganoon na sitwasyon,” Lagman added.Brosas also responded to observations that the divorce bill is “divisive”.“I don’t think divisive ang issue. ‘Di ba trabaho naman talaga natin na pag-usapan lahat ng bagay. Mas divisive pa nga ang cha-cha (charter change),” she said.The sponsorship of the Divorce Bill before the House plenary will pave the way for the plenary debates on the proposed measure, before the lower chamber votes on it on second reading.In 2018, a similar bill was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives.<div>HONTIVEROS HOPEFUL SENATE WILL PASS DIVORCE BILL</div>Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said she remains hopeful that her penned Dissolution of Marriage Act report or Senate Bill 2443 will be able to pass the upper chamber.   The proposed measure, which has been languishing in the plenary since September 18, 2023, aims to expand the grounds to dissolve a union.   Hontiveros made the statement in response to the start of plenary debates on SB 2443&#x27;s similar bill in the House of Representatives.   &quot;I really hope na mabigyan talaga ito ng fair hearing dito sa Senado. Kapag makaraos na tayo dito sa hindi kinakailangan at nakakapanghahati, halos negatibo ang naidudulot sa ngayon at hindi kailangang usapin ng ChaCha, sana maka-get back on track ang Senado, ang buong Kongreso sa ganitong mga importanteng issue,&quot; Hontiveros, told journalists Wednesday.   Hontiveros believes, the Senate still has the time to tackle her penned divorce bill, which she stressed, offers easier process for one to be liberated to his or her problematic and unhealthy married life.   &quot;Basically ano to, &#x27;no fault&#x27; na dissolution of marriage,&quot; Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality said.   Some of the grounds for divorce being pushed in SB 2443 include the separation of couple for five straight years; commission of rape and irreconcilable differences.   - with a report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News<div> </div><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J24G6Z4wUns?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure>Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a>

A bill seeking to legalize divorce in the Philippines has been elevated to the plenary of the House of Representatives.

A bill seeking to legalize divorce in the Philippines has been elevated to the plenary of the House of Representatives.

Divorce bill reaches House plenary

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Divorce bill reaches House plenary

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 21, 2024 06:02 PM PHT

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Updated February 21, 2024 09:56 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Divorce

Plenary

Sponsorship

Gabriela Party List

Edcel Lagman

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