Couples prepare to say their “I dos” during a mass wedding in 2016. A controversial bill, which will allow a married couple to dissolve their marriage, is being pushed.in the Lower House.
CDN FILE PHOTO
DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE BILL
Whether or not the bill seeking the dissolution of marriage will be passed, it should also stress the importance of the protection of
children.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter (IBP) gave this suggestion in a statement sent by its president, lawyer Mundlyn Misal-Martin.
Although admitting that she has not fully read the draft bill, which was formally filed before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Family Relations by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez last July, Martin said that the needs of the children must be given attention, too.
“Emphasis on the protection of the innocent children should be considered as a priority, and the proposal should include how the children’s rights’ are protected and guarded. If you try to look at it, the children are the most affected, if their parents separate from each other,” she said.
“The law should look not just at the parties who asked for the dissolution of their marriage, but rather, look beyond, or the ones who are deeply hurt, and these are the children. They should be considered. That I believe,” Martin added.
HB 6027
During his visit in Cebu last Friday, Alvarez announced that House Bill 6027, which not only seeks dissolution of marriage but also legalization of civil unions among homosexual and heterosexual couples, would be passed before Christmas.
Alvarez revealed that grounds on “severe and chronic unhappiness” and irreconcilable differences might constitute dissolution of marriage between married couples.
Faith on legislators
For IBP-Cebu, they give their full faith and trust to the legislators and experts tackling the bill, but the group said that the legislators should not sideline the welfare of children.
“If the bill will be passed, (we) believe in the expertise of the proponents of their knowledge of the law. Loving someone is also letting go, setting them free. Dissolution of marriage is one way of letting go and being free. But the products of love should not suffer from the illusions of “letting go”.
They are gifts when love existed and these blessings should be nurtured, protected and guarded. That is also love,” Martin said.
Disapproval
But the proposed law not only received disapproval from the Archdiocese of Cebu but also from local government officials.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he opposed any means of dissolution of marriage, but granting that it could benefit the people, he would not stop any effort to stop its passage.
“I’m against the dissolution of marriage, but if the people want to do it, (then) who am I to stop them?” Osmeña said.
“It’s good for those who wanted the dissolution, but it doesn’t mean that everybody has to dissolve their marriage. That doesn’t give the impression that if you pass that law I will have to dissolve my marriage with my wife,” he said.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, for his part, said that he has to read HB 6027 before he would comment on the matter.
Davide, however, said that he believed in the “inviolability of marriage.”
“I haven’t read it. I cannot really give an informed comment unless I read it. There are a lot of causes (in a strained marriage) but I believe in the inviolability of marriage,” Davide said. /With USC Intern Therese Alegado