Neophyte Senator Robin Padilla has defended his proposal to legalize divorce in the country saying that the proposed measure is not meant to destroy families but rather to protect them from failed marriages.
The divorce bill is among Padilla’s top ten priority measures in the 19th Congress.
“Hindi po ito kailanman na sumasalungat sa pag-aasawa. Hindi ito isang bagay na kami ay kontra na magkaroon ng forever. Katunayan, ito pong panukalang ito ay nagbibigay ng proteksyon, unang una sa mag-asawa — babae at lalaki at sa kanilang mga magiging anak,” Padilla said in a Facebook post.
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“Sabi nga po nila, baka raw itong panukala ang sisira sa kasal. Ay, hindi po! Itong panukalang ito ang nagbibigay proteksyon sa kasal na — masakit man sabihin — ay sira na. Wala tayong sinisirang pamilya. Pinroproteksyunan natin ang hindi magkasundo,” he added.
Under Padilla’s proposed bill, divorce can be filed due to the following reasons:
– The husband or wife cannot fulfill his/her obligation in the marriage;
– Both parties in the marriage have irreconcilable differences;
– The marriage was annulled abroad;
– The husband or wife is presumed dead in accordance with Articles 390 and 391 of the Civil Code of the Philippines
– A party is convicted of violating the “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act”;
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– There is an attempt on the life of the child of the couple or of the petitioner;
– Having children outside the marriage, except if both agree to have a child through in vitro fertilization or similar procedure, or if the woman bears a child after being raped;
– There are grounds for annulling the marriage based on the Family Code of the Philippines due to repeated abuses against the petitioner or his/her child or;
– Both parties have been living separately for two years at the time the petition was filed the couple legally separated through a judicial decree under Article 55 of the Family Code of the Philippines
Padilla said that the divorce bill also gives a ‘cooling period’ for couples who would undergo divorce proceedings.
