Divorce bill gets final House nod
MANILA, Philippines — A divided House of Representatives yesterday approved on third and final reading the absolute divorce bill that in nearly four decades only reached plenary debates in the halls of Congress.
Congressmen voted 126-109 – with 20 abstentions – in stamping their approval on House Bill 9349 authored by long-time divorce advocate Rep. Edcel Lagman, who said there is now “the imminent liberation for Filipino wives who are entombed in toxic, abusive and long-dead marriages.”
“By legalizing divorce, the Philippines acknowledges the need to provide options for individuals trapped in unhappy and irreparable marriages. This recognition reflects an evolving understanding of the complexities and challenges that can arise within marital unions,” he said.
“Divorce is not the monster plaguing a marriage. It is marital infidelity, abandonment, violence and cruelty, among others, which are the devils that destroy marriages,” the first district congressman of Albay province reiterated.
Among those who voted against the measure were Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Rufus Rodriguez, Richard Gomez, evangelist-lawmaker Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list and preacher Bienvenido Abante of Manila’s sixth district.
House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, a former seminarian, also voted no.
“May God have mercy on our nation!” Villanueva, the Jesus is Lord movement evangelist, said. “We have explained and warned our colleagues of the ill effects of the measure; the accountability is now between them and God.”
“We should have realized that annulment and legal separation exist to remedy problematic marriages without rebelling against God, insulting Him and drawing the curses of disobeying Him,” Villanueva warned.
The opposition lawmakers usually lumped for voting practically against all pieces of legislation, the three-member Makabayan bloc expressly manifested their desire to have the measure approved by their House colleagues from the super majority coalition.
“This victory is nearly two decades in the making, following our initial introduction of a bill to legalize divorce back in 2005. The necessity for this legislation has only
