(ZENIT News / Manila, 14.03.2025).- As ZENIT reported on February 22, 2024, the debate in the Philippines over a bill, which was presented in 2023 to legalize divorce, was to have a second reading in 2025. According to AFP News Agency, the attempt to legalize divorce in the Philippines last February 6 was unsuccessful, as it was not supported by the nation’s Senate.
In the document “A Nation Founded on the Family, A Family Founded on Marriage,” of the Philippine Episcopal Conference, the Bishops point out that there is religious freedom in their country, and they defended the separation of Church and State, acknowledging that they are not in a position to dictate to the State what is best for Philippine families, but they insisted that a genuine marriage cannot be dissolved, although it’s admitted by many religions.
Supporters of the law have vowed to continue their plan to promote divorce. The Philippine Congress passed the bill to legalize divorce, but the Senate adjourned without hearing it.
The divorce bill obliged courts to give free legal and psychological assistance to low-income plaintiffs, limit attorneys’ fees to 50,000 Philippine pesos and require divorce petitions to be resolved within one year.
Arlene Brosas, one of the bill’s authors, said it was “unacceptable” that the Senate refused to address the measure given the “strong public demand” and that her Party will present it again when the next Congress is convoked in July after the elections, because there are many women that are mistreated by their husbands.
Francis Escudero, President of the Senate, argued that the bill “would create division” and suggested that the reason for nullity be broadened avoiding the word “divorce.”
Senate members face midterm elections in May and fear a strong reaction from the Catholic Church on the issue. Has political interest in the elections been the main reason for the Senators’ votes to reject the bill?
Father Jerome Secilano of the Philippine Episcopal Conference said that divorce contravenes the teachings of the Church on marriage and that it will destroy families. He also said that the number of victims of domestic abuse would “double”, as divorced men would have the opportunity of becoming violent again” in the new marriages.
