“Kung healthy living ka at ayaw mo manigarilyo, bakit mo ide-deprive yung iba na ang kaligayahan ay magsunog-baga?” (If you are into healthy living and don’t want to smoke, why would you deprive others who are happily smoking their lungs away?”)
Using this analogy, Dubai-based Filipino lawyer Barney Almazar explained his take on the issue of divorce. The country’s lower house recently approved the divorce bill on third reading despite opposition from religious groups.
Almazar, director at Gulf Law, said the dissolution of marriage through divorce should depend on the couple involved and that the Catholic Church should take a hands-off approach especially when it comes to non-members.
“Araw-araw ka binubugbog pero ayaw mo humiwalay. Choice mo yan, eh di magdusa ka. Pero wag mo pilitin ang iba na ayaw ng ganun,”Almazar said. (You get beaten everyday but you don’t want the marriage dissolved, that’s your choice. But don’t force those who won’t put up with that.)
“Ayaw ng simbahang Katoliko sa divorce, pwes, kahit legal pa yan, sabihan nila lahat ng members nila na wag mag-divorce. Pwede naman nila i-excommunicate ang members nila kung di susunod sa kanila, pero wala sila karapatan na mag-impose sa di nila members kasi di naman lahat ng Filipino ay Katoliko. Legal o hindi, pag against sa values mo, di wag mo gawin,” the lawyer explained. (Even if divorce became legal, the Catholic Church may opt to excommunicate members who don’t follow them, but they don’t have a right to impose on non-members because not all Filipinos are Catholics. Legal or not, if it’s against your values, then don’t do it).
Almazar said annulment, which is allowed in the Philippines, is the same thing as divorce but only more complicated and only those with money can afford it. He pointed out that even in the Arab world, divorce is allowed according to the Koran-based Sharia Law.
Divorce is legal in the rest of the world except the Philippines and Vatican City.
