Yesterday a pro-life forum was held ahead of elections next May. Pro-Life Partylist Secretary: "Like marriage encounters and counselling groups in every parish, we must offer those services in the government". Currently, the only way to end a marriage in the Philippines is through annulment, a usually very long and expensive process.
Manila (AsiaNews / CBCP) - Divorce is not the solution to the growing number of abuses that occur within families and violence that in some cases are perpetrated on children, but alternative solutions must be offered. That's what Pro-life Partylist candidates in the upcoming national elections reiterated yesterday at a forum held in Manila’s "Aristocrat" restaurant.
Party secretary, Jan Louenn Lumant, stated that the movement will propose a law that institutionalizes the "family crisis centers" in every barangay (in the municipalities, the smallest administrative unit in the Philippines). " Like marriage encounters and counselling groups in every parish, we must offer those services in the government”, he said.
Divorce is not legal in the Philippines and there are a few members of parliament who are pushing for the creation of a law that makes it so. For the moment, a couple can separate only through the annulment process, which is usually a very long process. The debate on this issue is one of the hotspots of the election campaign for the upcoming vote, to be held on May 9.
Roman T. Romulo, senatorial candidate, states that "the problem with the annulment is [it is] too expensive and the process is too long but there are other ways to do that there is legal separation but there should be a valid reason before we allow it".
According to Martin Romualdez, a member of Congress, supporters of divorce want a shorter and less difficult way to achieve separation, and promised that if elected senator, "I propose a revision of the Family Code".
Senatorial candidate Dante Liban, is of a very different view "we must promote the unity of the family, its development and its strengthening. We must follow the Constitution and the will of God to strengthen the Filipino family".
Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, senator and television host, believes the Philippines does not need a law on divorce: "I am very confident that divorce bill will not pass in the House of Representative, congressmen will now allow it or else their wives will kill them".