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Alvarez appeals to Church: Let efforts to enact divorce law flow smoothly


Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday appealed to the Catholic Church to respect the mandate of the government to safeguard the welfare of all Filipinos and let efforts to enact a law on dissolution of marriage and divorce flow smoothly in Congress.

"Pakiusap ko sa simbahan, igalang naman natin, respetuhin natin yung obligasyon ng gobyerno at rerespetuhin din ng gobyerno 'yung obligasyon ng simbahan,” Alvarez said in his speech before some 4,500 new members of the ruling party PDP-Laban in their oath-taking in Balanga City, Bataan.

The House Committee on Population and Family Affairs on Wednesday approved a substitute bill seeking to institute divorce in the country.

Alvarez has said he expects the bill to reach the plenary by next week, and approved on final reading before Congress adjourns session on March 23.

The Catholic Church has consistently opposed moves to enact a divorce law.

But Alvarez said the main responsibility of the church is to take care of its members, while the government's responsibility is to always consider the interests of the public.

"Kung ang relihiyon natin, ayaw natin 'yung diborsyo, ayaw natin 'yung dissolution of marriage, 'yun, i-preach mo doon sa mga miyembro na huwag kayong mag-avail ng batas na iyan dahil iyan ay hindi sang-ayon sa ating relihiyon," he said.

"Huwag namang idamay 'yung ibang relihiyon na gusto naman. Huwag na lang idamay 'yung ibang tao na hindi naman kasapi doon sa relihiyon na yun, kasi po problema po iyan," he added.

Alvarez said the dissolution of marriage and divorce bill has received the support of all political blocs in the House of Representatives.

At the same time, he said the chamber is also working on the passage of the bill recognizing civil unions, noting that couples, whether of the same sex or not, who are living together do not enjoy the same protection of the law as what married couples receive.

“It is their basic human right na kailangan nating i-address,” Alvarez said.

“Dito sa ilalim ng administrasyon na ito, ni President Rodrigo Duterte, pantay-pantay po tayong lahat,” he added. — BM, GMA News

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