The country’s senators are inviting Church leaders to attend the next hearing on the proposed divorce law now pending in Congress.
The legislators said the presence of those opposed to divorce, specially Catholic Church leaders, is essential so that they can air their side.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, said women who are most of the time “victim-survivors” of domestic abuse need legal recourse.
According to the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey by the Philippines Statistics Authority, one in four married women aged 15 to 49 years old has experienced spousal violence, whether physical, sexual, or emotional.
“When a marriage becomes irreparable, it is incumbent upon the State to not only provide relief to spouses, but also protect children from the pain, anxiety, and trauma of witnessing regular marital clashes,” said Hontiveros in a statement.
“Let us give Filipino families the chance to let go of toxic relationships,” she added.
“Past surveys have demonstrated that the majority of Filipinos favor divorce to be instituted in the country. We better listen to our people,” Hontiveros said.
Various surveys have shown that more than half of respondents are in favor of the passage of a law on divorce.
Hontiveros said the Senate needs to pick up speed in acting on the proposed measure after the House of Representatives approved, in principle, bills that provide for the dissolution of marriage.
“Our counterparts in the House have already been making the moves to help our country catch up with the rest of the world,” said Hontiveros.
“The Senate must do the same,” she added.
“We are the only country, aside from the Vatican, that doesn’t have divorce,” said the legislator.
“As a secular state, this is not something to be proud of. This only shows how left behind we are in addressing the needs and recognizing the lived experiences of our people,” Hontiveros said.
Senator Raffy Tulfo, meanwhile, said the absence of a divorce law “creates a difficult situation for Filipinos.”
“This representation puts forward that it is time to save Filipinos from this dead-end situation by enacting a divorce law that seeks to give substantial grounds for dissolving a marriage apart from psychological incapacity,” he said.
“Those who have a strong belief in the sanctity of marriage can simply choose not to avail of the remedy of dissolution of marriage. It is just unfair to me that those who sorely need such law [are] prohibited from its application due to the convictions of another,” Tulfo said.
