House OKs bill simplifying remarriage for divorced Filipinos

A bill simplifying the process of remarriage for Filipinos who have been divorced from their foreign spouses is closer to becoming a law after the House of Representatives passed it on third and final reading Monday night.

 

House Bill 5907 seeks to amend  Executive Order No. 209, otherwise known as the Family Code of the Philippines, by allowing a Filipino to remarry when the foreign spouse has obtained a foreign judicial decree of absolute divorce.

 

Under the measure, Filipino spouses who have been divorced only need to have the judicial decree of absolute divorce obtained by their foreign spouse authenticated by the Philippine consul of the country where the decree was obtained.

 

The document may then be presented as one of the documentary requirements for the issuance of a marriage license without need for a judicial decree.

 

HB 5907 also provides that the Filipino spouse need not seek judicial recognition or enforcement of the foreign judicial decree of absolute divorce.

 

Rather, the registration of the foreign spouse’s judicial decree of absolute divorce with the civil registrar will be enough for the Filipino spouse to be issued a marriage license.

 

Aside from promoting ease of remarriage for Filipino spouses divorced from their partners, the bill also seeks to simplify the process of recognition of a foreign judgment on divorced obtained by the foreign party.

 

The measure was primarily authored by Reps. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, Maximo Rodriguez Jr. of ABAMIN party-list, Magtanggol Gunigundo of Valenzuela City, Marlyn Primicias-Agabas of Pangasinan and Leni Robredo of Camarines Sur.

The Philippines does not have a divorce law. — Xianne Arcangel/JDS, GMA News