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House approves ‘Absolute Divorce’ bill on final reading

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the bill that seeks to introduce divorce and dissolution of marriage in the Philippines.

With a vote of 134-57-2, the House approved on Monday the House Bill 7303, or the proposed “Act Instituting Absolute Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage in the Philippines,” which is primarily authored by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

The bill will be passed to the Senate. However, several members of the Upper Chamber have expressed opposition towards the bill.

The bill aims to allow couples to obtain “absolute divorce” after a broken marriage.

Under the bill, the grounds on the granting of an absolute divorce include:
• The grounds for legal separation and annulment of marriage under the Family Code of the Philippines;
• Separation in fact for at least five years;
• Legal separation by judicial decree for at least two years;
• Psychological incapacity;
• Gender reassignment surgery;
• Irreconcilable differences; and
• Joint petition of spouses

The court will not start the trial six months after the petition for divorce was filed to give opportunities for couples to reconcile.

Moreover, the bill states that cases of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are given priority on court hearings.

Another provision in the bill states that the state should ensure that the process of obtaining divorce should be inexpensive and affordable.

President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his opinion on the issue, saying he is against divorce.

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