Senate President Francis Escudero is advocating for making annulment more affordable and accessible instead of supporting House Bill 9349, the proposed Absolute Divorce Act, which was approved by the House of Representatives on its third and final reading last week.
Escudero emphasized the need for a thorough examination of the controversial divorce bill, noting the close vote in the House, where 131 members voted in favor, 109 against, and 20 abstained. “It’s good to weigh the issues because half the members voted for and there are also half of the legislators who voted against, virtually telling us not to tackle that,” he told dzBB radio.
Expressing his preference for focusing on annulment, Escudero stated, “I’d rather make the annulment affordable and accessible.” He suggested that one approach could be allowing the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to handle annulment cases to reduce costs. “Opening cases like this in the PAO so that it is not expensive rather than us going along with the flow of the rest of the world that they say we are only one of two countries without divorce. Why do we want to?” he said.
HB 9349 aims to offer absolute divorce as a legal solution for irreparably broken marriages under specific conditions and judicial processes. The bill outlines comprehensive guidelines for divorce petitions, including grounds, procedures, and the impact on custody, property division, and support. It also proposes reconciliation methods, fines, and community-based initiatives supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Despite the proposed bill, Escudero believes the focus should remain on enhancing the existing annulment process. He pointed out that handling annulment cases is currently not within the PAO’s mandate, making the process seem accessible only to the wealthy. “Perhaps it should be looked at and studied, expanded, and made more accessible to any Filipino who wants to have their marriage annulled,” Escudero explained.
In contrast, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David reiterated his opposition to the legalization of divorce. In a homily at San Roque Cathedral, he stressed that marriage is a covenant with God that cannot be dissolved. “Jesus raises the bar of our humanity by teaching us to look at marriage, not just as an agreement between two spouses, but as a covenant between the couple and God,” he said.
David acknowledged that marriages can be “weak and fragile” but emphasized the Catholic Church’s belief that marriage can grow and flourish despite challenges.