Posted on 03/21/2018 8:49:08 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Philippines took its closest step yet to legalizing divorce this week, despite opposition from President Rodrigo Duterte and religious groups.
The country’s lower house of Congress voted Monday to pass a bill allowing couples to dissolve “irreparable marriages” and remarry, with 134 lawmakers voting for and 57 against, with two abstentions, Reuters reports. The only other country where divorce is illegal is the Vatican City.
Congresswoman Emmi de Jesus said the bill sought to address the “clamour of women trapped in abusive relationships,” the BBC reports.
The bill, which passed with support across the political aisle, offers Filipinos a legal alternative to annulment, which is costly and time consuming, according to the Philippines-based Rappler. President Duterte had his own marriage legally annulled before entering office. The President, however, does not support divorce, citing the welfare of children.
The Philippines is over 80% Roman Catholic, and church groups have expressed strong disapproval of the bill. Last month, approximately 2,000 protestors marched in Manila in opposition to the proposal.
But a survey conducted last year found that 53% of Filipinos supported legalizing divorce; 32% opposed.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
I wonder if a legal ban on divorce makes a marriage more harmonious?
Good for them. The State has no business telling someone they have to stay married.
Recently went thru the annulment process (only way) and it was a major pain. Took a year.
Who are they kidding.. its the same as divorce as far as I am concerned.
Annulment means it “never happened: C’mon. It happened.
What are the children considered after annulment if “it never happened” ?
No. The country is loaded with separateds.
And “annulment” is so expensive most just stay “separated”
Now maybe the murder rate will go down.
No.
A legal ban does not seem to change the personal atmosphere of commitment.
In the Philippines, couples wanting divorce and unable to get it have, in a great many of the cases, separated in the practical sense without the legal sanction of either divorce or marriage to someone else. They just live apart and have affairs the other partner accepts, because divorce is not an option.
Exactly. Well we got the custody. Psychological or physical abuse has to be proven (for annul), and odd as it is, cheating doesn’t matter, although can be loosely used to reinforce abuse. Only if STDs are involved.
We went with a lawyer there who had about 100 cases or so and only lost one (no annul granted).
“The only other country where divorce is illegal is the Vatican City.”
Not a real country. Just the result of a deal with Mussolini.
We never sent an ambassador there till the 1980s. And then just as a sop for cold war reasons with JPII.
“Good for them. The State has no business telling someone they have to stay married.”
So you oppose child support and alimony payments then? You oppose courts forcing a man who bought his house to give it to his ex-wife, right?
Looks like the evil anti-family US Deep State is trying to force American-style “marriage” upon the Phillipines. President Duterte should ask China to flex its muscle against anti-family US Deep State.
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