Hontiveros renews call for divorce bill passage
SENATORS were prodded to frontload passage of the divorce bill that Sen. Risa Hontiveros said is being awaited by “abused women.”
Hontiveros on Tuesday renewed her call for Congress to pass Senate Bill 147 or the Dissolution of Marriage Act.
Sitting as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, Hontiveros stressed, “Women victim-survivors of domestic abuse need this legal recourse.”
The lawmaker lamented, “Some Filipino women have almost been killed by their own husbands,” but added “most of them cannot leave their marriages because of the prohibitive costs of filing for an annulment.”
Hontiveros asserted: “Bigyan na natin ang ating mga kababaihan ng pagkakataong makalaya sa masalimuot at abusadong pagsasama. Bigyan natin sila ng oportunidad na mahalin at magmahal muli. Ipasa na ang Divorce Bill.”
In authoring the remedial legislation, Hontiveros also led discussions on various measures seeking to “end dysfunctional and abusive marriages.”
Hontiveros renewed her call for Congress to promptly pass Senate Bill No. 147 or the Dissolution of Marriage Act, as she reminded that “it is incumbent for the State to not only provide relief to spouses but also protect children from the pain, anxiety, and trauma of witnessing regular marital clashes.”
“Let us give the Filipino family a chance, a way out that is straightforward and no fault,” the senator stressed, adding: “Once you realized you made a mistake, the way out should not be traumatizing to the average married Filipino—financially, psychologically, and socially.”
“We all deserve a second chance in love and in life,” Hontiveros pointed out.
She also recalled that according to the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey by the Philippines Statistics Authority, one in four married women aged 15 to 49 years old has experienced spousal violence, whether physical, sexual, or emotional. Surveys also report that most of those who agree to institute divorce are women.
“When a marriage becomes irreparable, it is incumbent upon the State to not only provide relief to spouses, but also protect children from the pain, anxiety, and trauma of witnessing regular marital clashes. Let us give Filipino families the chance to let go of toxic relationships,” Hontiveros said.
At the same time, she also recalled a 2017 Social Weather Station survey, revealing that 53 percent agreed to legalize divorce. Another survey, run by the Catholic Radio Veritas in 2018, showed that 52 percent “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” to the measure.
Hontiveros asserted that the Senate needs to pick up speed, as the House of Representatives has approved, in principle, bills that provide for the dissolution of marriage.
“Our counterparts in the House have already been making the moves to help our country catch up with the rest of the world. The Senate must do the same. Past surveys have demonstrated that the majority of Filipinos favor divorce to be instituted in the country. We better listen to our people,” Hontiveros said.
She also reminded, “We are the only country, aside from the Vatican, that doesn’t have divorce,” noting “as a secular state, this is not something to be proud of. This only shows how left behind we are in addressing the needs and recognizing the lived experiences of our people. 2023 na, wala pa
ring divorce. It’s time to change this,” Hontiveros stressed.