Ka Leody to push for divorce, decriminalization of abortion

Labor leader and presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman on Monday said he is in favor of decriminalizing abortion and legalizing divorce if he wins in the upcoming May national and local elections.

De Guzman made the remark during a Catholic E-Forum hosted by Radio Veritas, emphasizing that society has already developed which now allows women to use contraceptives and pills, and to decide for their own bodies.

He said rather than seeing that this policy would increase the abortion rate in the country, he sees this as a way to reduce the risk that women go through should they wish to forgo their pregnancy.

“Mababawasan ang pagkamatay ng maraming kababaihan dahil sa pagpapa-undergo sa isang lihim na sistema ng pagpapa-abort. Makakabawas tayo nang malaki diyan,” he told Reverend Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Permanent Committee on Public Affairs.

(It will reduce the deaths of many women who undergo a secret way of abortion. We can reduce their deaths significantly.)

De Guzman explained that while sexual intercourse is normal, many women nowadays have higher interests in not wanting to bear a child. Since abortion in the Philippines is illegal, a number of them would resort to secret, and sometimes unsafe, abortion out of fear of getting punished.

Yes to divorce

At the same forum, De Guzman said he will also push for divorce in the country as it will allow married couples who fell out of love and/or are abusive to each other to free themselves from the bind and be happy anew. It will also save their children from the trauma of living in a toxic home, he added.

“Hindi lang sila lalaya at magiging masaya kundi pati ‘yung mga bata ay mawawala ‘yung trauma sa klase ng pamilyang wala nang ginawa, umaga hanggang gabi, ay nagkakalmutan nang kalmutan at naghihiyawan,” he expressed.

(The couples will not only be free and happy, but also their children who live in a family that does nothing but to fight and bicker day and night.)

De Guzman then called on both the Church and the government to respect each other when it comes to this matter.

“Kung maging batas ‘yun, ay siguro dapat magrespeto ang Simbahan sa ating estado at ‘yung ating estado naman ay magrespeto kung patuloy na ipa-practice ng Simbahan ‘yung hindi pagsuporta sa divorce. Magkahiwalay naman sila eh. Magrespetuhan,” he said.

(If this becomes a law, the Church should respect the state and vice versa. They are separate institutions so they should respect each other.)

In August 2021, the House Committee on Population and Family Relations approved the bill seeking to introduce absolute divorce in the country.

In 2019, several women suffering from abusive partnerships turned emotional during a Senate hearing on the matter.

Asked how he would convince the Catholics who respect the sacredness of life to vote for him in the May 9 polls despite his controversial stances on abortion, divorce, and even same-sex marriage, he explained that there really are circumstances in which his position would not sit well with others, but he would stand firm with what he believes in rather than lie and avoid such difficult questions.

“‘Yan ay tatlong bagay na hindi tayo magkasundo, pero 97 na bagay sa 100 ay tingin ko mas magkalapit tayo—‘yung paglilingkod sa masa, sa taumbayan. Ang unahin ang tao bago ang tubo, nagkakaisa tayo do’n,” he said.

(Those are three things that we don’t agree on, but I think we do on 97 out of 100, and that is the service to the masses or the people. We are united in putting the people first before the interest.)

De Guzman earlier vowed to appoint women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) members to fill half of his Cabinet positions if he wins in Eleksyon 2022. — RSJ, GMA News