Gabriela solon sees faster approval of divorce bill in 18th Congress

Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas is expecting a fast approval of the measure introducing absolute divorce and dissolution of marriage in the Philippines during the 18th Congress.

In a press conference on Thursday, Brosas, one of the authors of the proposed measure, said that while deliberations are ongoing in the House of Representatives, so are those in the Senate.

The House Committee on Population and Family Relations on Wednesday moved to create a technical working group the three pending bills on divorce, and Brosas is hoping that the subpanel will finish its deliberations next week.

The Senate Committee on Women, Gender and Family Relations last September also conducted its first hearing on divorce bills filed in that chamber.

"Umuusad sa Senate, umuusad sa Lower House. So we are seeing medyo positive dito sa divorce bill," Brosas said.

"Plus maraming advocates kahapon, natutuwa. Lalo na sa social media, marami ngayon ang nagre-react na sana maipasa na ang divorce bill," she added.

Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Permanent Committee on Public Affairs of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, expressed his opposition to the passage of the divorce bill, saying that is already unnecessary considering that are existing legal remedies for the separation of married couples.

"Maraming legal na pamamaraan para mapaghiwalay mo 'yung mga mag-asawa na hindi na talaga magkasundo," Secillano said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Thursday.

"Mayroon tayong legal separation, mayroon tayong declaration of the nullity of marriage, mayroon tayong annulment... kulang pa ba? Bakit ka pa magdadagdag?" he added.

Brosas, however, said the measure is only meant to give an additional option for separating couples.

"Hindi naman natin winawala yung annulment. Nandoon pa rin yung annulment, nandoon pa rin yung nullity of marriage, at nandoon pa rin yung legal separation," she said.

"One of the option is divorce. It's about time para magkaroon ng divorce dito sa Pilipinas kasi kung maaalala niyo tayo lang ang walang divorce expect for Vatican," she added.

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