MANILA (UCAN): On July, Edcel Lagman, a lawmaker from Albay Province, the Philipines, re-filed the “Absolute Divorce Act” claiming that it aims to liberate “beleaguered and tormented wives” from “irretrievably dysfunctional marriages or inordinately abusive marital relations.”
Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said it was unfortunate that lawmakers who sponsored the bill would rather destroy than protect the family.
“It is sad to know that we have legislators who rather focus on breaking marriages and the family rather than fixing them or strengthening the marital bond,” Father Jerome Secillano said in an interview with Radio Veritas Asia on July 6.
Father Secillano said that lawmakers have more pressing problems to address in the country instead of aiding divorce in the Philippines.
He said that lawmakers like Lagman are “busy advancing their irrational advocacy” instead of addressing issues of unrelenting oil price increase, inflation, fare hike, unemployment and the Covid-19.
It is sad to know that we have legislators who rather focus on breaking marriages and the family rather than fixing them or strengthening the marital bond,
Father Jerome Secillano
The Philippines is the only country, aside from the Vatican, to outlaw absolute divorce, although the Catholic Church allows a declaration of nullity—annulment—if it is determined by a tribunal that a marriage was invalidly contracted [lack of capacity, consent] or that ordination was invalidly conferred [lack of form]. In 2015, Pope Francis made moves to make the process more accessible and simpler.
The Philippine government also has a civil declaration of nullity based on psychological incapacity, which can be a long and expensive legal process in which only the court can decide, not the couple themselves.
A previous divorce bill was set aside during the rule of President Rodrigo Duterte due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lagman said that he believes the bill would offer freedom to couples from dysfunctional marriages and would become a key to upholding the quality of family life among Filipino families.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Father Secillano, however, said that economic reforms must be the priority of lawmakers under President Marcos.
“The unreasonable penchant of these legislators to the divorce bill while we are reeling from economic devastation tells me that it’s no longer about helping Filipinos rise up from economic poverty but a matter of pride and subservience to whoever is behind this measure,” he added.
They promised to uphold the constitution when they took their oath of office. Now, the constitution says that the family, our basic social institution, must be protected. Aren’t they violating their promise to uphold the constitution?
Bishop Arturo Bastes
Retired Bishop Arturo Basters of Sorsogon also observed that lawmakers should remember their oath to uphold the constitution by safeguarding the family.
“They promised to uphold the constitution when they took their oath of office. Now, the constitution says that the family, our basic social institution, must be protected. Aren’t they violating their promise to uphold the constitution?” Bishop Bastes wondered.
“If they cannot keep the very oath they took when they first began their public office, how much more of the fulfillment of the promise we can expect from them?” he added.
The Catholic youth group, Youth for Christ, denounced Lagman’s bill and posted on Facebook: “We should all pray to St. Maria Goretti for the protection of the youth and the family. The family is the basic unit of society where many young people learn how to love and how to be good Christians. So, we must protect it always.”
Goretti died on 6 July 1902, at the age of 12, after she was stabbed by her neighbour, Alessandro Serenelli, who tried to rape her. She was canonised by Pope Pius XII on 24 June 1950.
Supporters of the bill, however, said that the passage of the bill would provide an option to those who want to save themselves from the torments of dysfunctional marriages.
“The law is never mandatory but merely an option to those who want to avail divorce as a legal option. So why should Catholic conservatives deprive us of that right?” one Catholic said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
