House bill seeks to simplify annulment proceedings

A bill was filed at the House of Representatives on Monday that seeks simplify annulment proceedings in the country by including spousal violence, infidelity and abandonment as grounds for annulling marriages. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares filed House Bill 3952 seeking to amend a provision of Executive Order 209, more popularly known as the Family Code, issued in 1997 by then President Corazon Aquino, mother of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III. The measure aims to simplify and "make accessible" annulment proceedings by presuming that spousal violence, infidelity and abandonment as presumptions of "psychological incapacity"—a ground for annulling marriages under Article 36 of the Family Code. "Should the petitioner alleges that she or he has been the victim of spousal violence, infidelity and abandonment, such allegations are presumed constitutive of psychological incapacity on the part of the offending spouse unless the latter successfully presents evidence to rebut the same," the bill read. Colmenares said if passed into law, the measure will make annulment proceedings "less costly" and "more accessible" to the poor since there is no more need to hire "expensive" psychiatrists, psychologists and lawyers to prove their claims. "The bill levels the field by giving those who cannot afford long litigations, lawyers, psychiatrists the opportunity to annul their unfortunate marriage with a psychologically incapacitated spouse," he said. - Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMANews.TV