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I am in favor in the pursuit of Gabriella womens party -list in passing a divorce bill for it to ultimately become part of the

law of the land. I believe divorce has become a need today of the society. Divorce should be allowed in the Philippines because it is unfair for the two parties, the husband and wife, to still live together despite the fact that there is no reason to stay anymore. Divorce, however, shall only be granted by the law as a last option after exhausting all possible means of reconciliation in order not to go against the constitutional provisions under Article XV which reads:

Section 1. The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development.

Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State. (1987 Philippine Constitution)

Accordingly, these constitutional provisions are also what the opposing party is holding unto. The re-filing of Marikina Rep. Marcelino Teodoro of an anti-divorce and unlawful dissolution of marriage wishes to emphasize the importance of matrimony and family union. It is not surprising in a way because Philippines is known to be a predominantly Catholic country. According to the National Statistics Office (2010 census),
approximately 93 percent of the population is Christian. Roman Catholics, the largest religious group, constitute 80 to 85 percent of the total population.

But Filipinos should also be aware that officially,

Philippines is now the only country where divorce is still banned, along with Vatican City. The Southern European country of the Republic of Malta,
south of Sicily and east of Tunisia, voted in favor of legalizing divorce as announced by Prime Minister Lawrence

Gonzi on May 29. 2011. Malta, a dominantly catholic nation (95% Catholic), is the only other country that deems divorce illegal then along with the Philippines.

Islam is the largest minority religion, and Muslims constitute between 5 and 9 percent of the total population. Most Filipino Muslims are members of various ethnic minority groups.

When a man and a woman marry each other, it is their utmost wish to remain in this relation of wedlock forever. The aim of marriage is to have a healthy and happy family. It is even clearly stated in the governing law on family relations that Marriage is a special contract of
permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life. It is the foundation of the family and an inviolable social institution whose nature, consequences, and incidents are

xxx (Article 1, Family Code of the Philippines). But when that purpose fail, why continue the relationship? In some cases, in the early stages of marriage the couple hopes to have the ideal picture of married life wherein change in times will not change their commitment to each other and only death may separate them in this world. But then, we have to accept the social reality that there are inevitable situations when it is better for the couple to part ways. When there is no more reason to stay because there is no more love, trust, affection and faith that binds them anymore. Why prolong the agony of either or both parties if they cannot endure living harmoniously together anymore?
governed by law and not subject to stipulation

In our country, there are cases where differences become so pronounced that it becomes necessary to sever this relationship. If such circumstances do befall that a husband and wife must separate permanently, the Family Code of the Philippines provides for annulment or legal separation, depending on the grounds, to end said marriage. This is an addition to the contention pro-marriage that civil

laws has provided enough rules to cater the dilemma to nullify marriage thus disallowing divorce to even enter the picture. It is even countered that divorce is also unconstitutional.

To stand the ground of pursuing divorce here in the Philippines, let us first look at the history of divorce in our country. People who say that divorce is not advisable for Filipinos must have forgotten or ignored our history. The ethno-linguistic communities of the Philippine archipelago before the Spanish conquest practiced divorce. We had a divorce law from 1917 (Act 2710 the Old Divorce Law), and during the Japanese occupation there was absolute divorce (EO 141), until August 30, 1950 when the Civil Code of 1950 took effect. The latter law prohibited divorce for Filipinos, and the prohibition continues under the present Family Code. But Muslim Filipinos have always practiced divorce, which Philippine law allowed. Today, divorce continues to be available to Muslim Filipinos under the Code of Muslim Personal Law of the Philippines (Presidential Decree No. 1083), promulgated in 1977. So to say that divorce does not exist in present Philippine law is not accurate.

The congress should pass a law allowing divorce. Why? Firstly, current laws which are supposed to govern problem in marriages are not enough. Under the Family Code of the Philippines, it provides two options in dissolving marriage, the Legal Separation and Annulment

A legal separation allows a couple to divide their properties and live apart, but it does not dissolve their marriage and therefore they cannot re-marry. In

annulments and declaration of nullity of marriage, it must be proved that the marriage was invalid from the start according to a certain set of reasons such as impotence, homosexuality, mistaken identity, or psychological incapacity, among others. Both options are somehow flawed. In legal separations, quite literally, the couple remains married only on paper. So what the essence of marriage then if the very foundation of marriage is already gone? It is not inconformity with provision stating the husband and wife. (art 68). In an annulment, you must prove that your reason for wanting to nullify the marriage existed even before the marriage. This requires one to declare and prove that his or her partner is incapable of functioning as wife or husband.
The number of marriage annulment and nullity cases filed in the country has been steadily rising for the past eight years, with an average of 28 couples seeking to have their marriages declared null and void per day in 2012, records from the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) showed.
A total of 10,528 annulment cases were brought before the OSG last year, or over 1,000 cases more than the 9,133 filed in 2011. Last year's figure was almost double the number of marriage dispute cases filed a decade ago. In 2002, a total of 5,250 couples sought to have their marriages annulled or nullified. Gabriela Women's party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said the rising trend in marriage annulment and nullity cases in the Philippines indicates that more and more marriages have reached the point of no return in the country. even if the law of the country provides for a permanent union or the law of God commands the same, it should be remembered that Happiness and the law are two different things.

The increasing number of annulment cases should alarm the state and consequently make an action and resolve the matter. The huge number of annulment cases only represent that despite the

difficulty in filing annulment or legal separation, there are still who crosses the threshold because it becomes inevitable for the spouses to separate ways anymore.

It is not an unknown fact that Article 36 of the Family is the most often ground for invoking nullity of marriage, which entails expensive outflows of money. This ground alone for a void marriage, mainly because of psychological incapacity of either or both parties, can cost an average of seventy five thousand pesos (P75,000) up to three hundred thousand (P300, 000) to nullify marriage depending on each case. Also, there is article 26 of the Family Code which allows divorce for Filipinos married to foreigners wherein the latter after seeking divorce under his or her own National Law, said Filipino spouse shall also be allowed of divorce and to re-marry for fairness and equality. With this huge amount of expenses, average earning spouses tend to just endure the pain and sufferings of the union because there are no other options. Moreover, this kind of option for nullity of marriage tend be aside from being expensive, may also be very embarrassing because in order to prove evidences one is compelled to open his or her life like a book and allow people to dig private information. This is a really painful experience, not to mention that it will eat up much of time and resources of the spouses. Another things is, because of the separation of Church and State, getting a civil annulment will only mean that your civil
union has been dissolved. This is fine if you were married in City Hall, but if you had a church wedding, this means that your church union is still intact. To nullify your church wedding, you need to go through the whole process again, this time

But what is most hurting part is for a spouses to be unqualified to separate ways because the law does not provide for such unique ground, as in the case of Republic vs Iyoy, 470 SCRA 508 (2005. It reads:
with the archdiocese. This action will cost more and take longer.

In the instant case, at most, the wifes abandonment, sexual infidelity, and bigamy- give the husband grounds to file for separation, but not for declaration of nullity of marriage- while the supreme court commiserates with the latter for being continuously shackled to what is now a hopeless and loveless marriage, this is one of those situations where neither law nor society can provide the specific answer to every individual problem. Pursuit
Under the Family Code, legally separated couples "shall be entitled to live separately from each other, but the marriage bonds shall not be severed," thereby making them ineligible to remarry. So what is the essence of marriage then? I The congress may also conider adopting some of the rules under the muslim code; Under sharia law, divorce is allowed in islam but only as a last option. Divorce as a last option: Although divorce being allowed in Islam is a sign of the lenience and practical nature of the Islamic legal system, keeping the unity of the family is considered a priority for the sake of the children. For this reason, divorce is always a last choice, after exhausting all possible means of reconciliation. For example, Allah addresses men asking them to try hard to keep the marriage, even if they dislike their wives: ... live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and God brings about through it a great deal of good. - Surah 4 Verse 19 Also the following verse is addressed to women asking them the same thing: If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; ... - Surah 4 Verse 128 Again, the following verse is addressed to the family or the society for the same purpose of rescuing this bond, which God did not make easy to break: If ye fear a breach between them twain, appoint (two) arbiters, one from his family, and the other from hers; if they wish for peace, God will cause their reconciliation: For God hath full knowledge, and is acquainted with all things. - Surah 4 Verse 35But, if after exhausting all methods of reconciliation, the hatred between the husband and wife is still greater than tolerance, then divorce becomes inevitable. Here comes the genius of the Islamic law, which holds practical, rather than unrealistic approaches, towards real situations. The ultimate aims of marriage, as well as any other aspect of human life, are to achieve happiness and virtue. So, when people are denied their right to end an unhappy marriage, these two aims are seriously violated. This is, as the couple will live in suffering, which may lead them to marital infidelity. Thus divorce in this case if weighed up to the disaster of family disintegration - will be less disastrous.

LAST RESORT

No sane perso

No sane person seeks divorce if they're happy or content with their marriage- there's always a reason.

Kasi hdni n lang sila ang nasasakntan, apti mga kids. Divirce should not be ipagkait PERO STRICT DN

Hence, Filipino spouses in need of it should be granted a divorce law because Philippines has been long way ready for it. If they allow it before why can they allow it today. The classical reason of marriage being a foundation of the family and subseauqty that of society is out of the question. As it was said above, divorce will be granted to those who have exhausted all the means of econciliaito. If the marriage is beyond reppaiable, why force the issue? The law must not prolong the agony of either or both spouse. Ones heart must be given the chance to speak. What if it would be better with another? The congress should pass a law allowing divorce, emphaihsing it to be only a last option for the couple. It should be affordable that even a below-avergae income earner may seek for it if it is the only way to regain ones self-esteem and recollect his or her life. The congress should pursue the divorce bill because, secondly, there are sectors in the Philippine society that practices divorce. It should be remembered that in spite of being a predominantly Catholic country, there are also other people that resides in the Philippines and practice different norms and beliefs. Not all Filipinos are Catholic but nevertheless we are all governed by the Family Code. This should not

be the case especially if no legal ground from either of the abovementioned options is available.

The lawmakers

And lastly, the congress should approve the divorce bill because the same is not destructive of family. no sane person.

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