Hontiveros hopes Marcos will be open to supporting divorce bill

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday expressed hope that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will be open to supporting the divorce bill.

"Well, I hope the President would be open about it," Hontiveros said in an ANC interview when asked if she is optimistic about Marcos's support for the bill.

If the bill is passed by both houses of Congress, Hontiveros said Marcos can either sign it into law or let it just lapse into law as she insisted that allowing divorce in the country is not against the 1987 Constitution.

"The President can also take heart, that in fact the passage of a dissolution of marriage law would be consistent with, not contrary to the 1987 Constitution," she said, adding that the constitutional framers themselves said the country's Charter allows Congress to pass such a measure.

"So maidadagdaga siya sa sa (it can be added to our) policy framework natin on the family. Sa Family Code, legal separation, annulment...A lot of laws as members of the family. Sana  (I hope) the president will be mindful of these," she said.

Hontiveros also hoped that the President would not veto the measure should it reach his table for approval.

"Huwag lang sana nila ive-veto (I hope the bill will not be vetoed)," she said.

Hopeful about new admin

Speaking from the stance of the opposition, Hontiveros said she is still waiting to be impressed by the new President but she said she chooses to be hopeful about the current administration's direction.

"I'm waiting to be impressed, not yet optimistic, but as at the start of every administration, no matter how surprising, how unexpected, I have to chose, I choose to be hopeful at least starting from the ranks of the minority, starting from the ranks of the opposition, and from the ranks from citizens at large," she said.

She noted again the points that the President had mentioned during his inaugural address, saying she is awaiting Marcos' concrete plans on these issues, especially in the economic transformation, in the latter's first State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In Marcos' first 100 days as president, the opposition legislator also said she is expecting Marcos to "head off" a food catastrophe in the country, name his Health secretary given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and lay down his economic roadmap for the country.

The senator said she is okay with Marcos naming the current officer-in-charge of the Department of Health as the new secretary to get the country out completely of the COVID-19 pandemic, to lead the country to a new and better normal, and to implement the Universal Health Care Law properly.

She also wanted Marcos to eventually appoint another person for the top post in the Department of Agriculture.

"I certainly would want to see the president eventually appoint a department secretary for agriculture," she said.

"Pero habang sila ang concurrently ang presidente at agriculture secretary, punong-puno na rin ang plato nila and not least with good and concrete proposals from the past several months, if not years. Halimbawa talagang bigyan ng once and for all ng suporta ang ating agri producers," she added.

(While he serves as the president and the agriculture secretary, his plate is already full with good and concrete proposals from several months, if not years. For example, giving our agri producers support.)

Recently, Hontiveros said she expects no less than the true condition of the Philippines when the President delivers his first SONA.

Among the solutions that she wanted to hear from Marcos are measures to address the food crisis and the high prices of fuel and goods.

The opposition lawmaker said she also likes to hear plans to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economic recession that the health crisis brought.

Also anticipated in his SONA are his plans for the overseas Filipino workers, the economic transformation, agriculture, energy supply, reopening of schools, infrastructure programs, tourism, and climate change. — RSJ, GMA News