A House bill allowing absolute divorce in the country has once again been refiled as the 20th Congress opens this July, following its failure to pass the Senate during the 19th Congress.
According to the report of RH Milky Rigonan, House Bill 210 was introduced by ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co.
The bill adopts the consolidated version previously approved on third and final reading in the House of Representatives, with additional grounds included to broaden the legal basis for divorce in the Philippines.
Among the expanded grounds for divorce are the recognition of foreign-issued divorce decrees and new grounds that could also apply to annulment cases.
These include serious physical or sexual violence, evaluated based on severity rather than frequency, compulsive gambling, bisexuality, and separation for at least five years with no possibility of reconciliation.
Other grounds include psychological incapacity and instances where one spouse has undergone gender reassignment surgery or gender transition.
Under the proposed measure, assets under the conjugal partnership will be divided between the spouses.
However, the economically disadvantaged party must be given financial support for up to two years or until they secure employment or a livelihood.
Both lawmakers emphasized that the sanctity of marriage should be based on the quality of the relationship, stressing that when marriage is no longer viable and cannot be repaired, it is time to give people the option of divorce.
The House of Representatives successfully passed the Absolute Divorce bill during the 19th Congress under the authorship of the late Albay Representative Edcel Lagman.
