CBCP official condemns House committee approval of divorce bill

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemned the approval of a divorce bill at the House committee level last week, which has paved the way for the proposed law to be presented to the plenary.

CBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Laity chairman and Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay, Palawan Bishop Broderick Pabillo said it is alarming that instead of helping strengthen the foundation of the family, lawmakers seem to want to weaken it through a divorce law, according to a report on Church-run Veritas.

“Noong nakaraang linggo nabalitaan natin na ang Committee on Population and Family Relations sa Lower House ay umaproba ng Absolute Divorce Bill at ito ay ipapasa na nila sa plenary meeting ng House of Representatives. Ito ay nakababahala kasi sa halip na palakasin ang pamilya ayon sa ating Salingang Batas, ang divorce ay nagpapahina sa pamilya,” Pabillo said during his homily at a Mass held at the vicariate.

(Last week, we heard that the Committee on Population and Family Relations at the Lower House approved the Absolute Divorce Bill and this will be presented at a plenary meeting of the House of Representatives. This is alarming because instead of strengthening the family according to our Constitution, divorce can weaken the family.)

On Tuesday last week, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman announced that the House Committee on Population and Family Relations unanimously approved the unnumbered substitute divorce bill crafted by a technical working group.

The substitute bill seeking to introduce absolute divorce in the Philippines is thus now bound for plenary debates at the House of Representatives.

The grounds for legal separation, annulment of marriage, and nullification of marriage based on psychological incapacity under the Family Code were included as grounds for absolute divorce.

However, under the bill, the following will also be included as grounds for divorce:

• separation in fact for at least five years at the time the petition for absolute divorce is filed;
• when one of the spouses undergoes a gender reassignment surgery or transitions from one sex to another;
• irreconcilable marital differences as defined in the bill;
• other forms of domestic or marital abuse which are also defined in the bill;
• valid foreign divorce secured by either the alien or Filipino spouse; and
• a marriage nullified by a recognized religious tribunal

The bishop said the sacrament of marriage is not just a deep evidence of the union of a husband and wife, but is also a venue for grace or blessing from God for them to fulfil their mission in the family.

“Totoong mahirap ang buhay ng mag-asawa. Mahirap magsama hanggang kamatayan. Mahirap, pero hindi imposible, at ito ay napapatunayan ng maraming mga may-asawa,” Pabillo said.

(It is true that the married life is hard. It is hard to stay together until death. Hard, but not impossible, and this has been proven by many married couples.) 

The bishop said it is possible for a couple to stay together through God’s help.

“Ito ay makakayanan kasi may Diyos na nakataya sa kanilang pag-iisang dibdib at tinutulungan sila,” he added.

(This is possible because there is a God who witnessed a man and woman's union and is helping them.)

The CBCP-National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal earlier said it was dismayed to see that the divorce bill is progressing in Congress.

The CBCP said divorce is not the solution to the problems in marriage.

Deputy Speaker and CIBAC party-list Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva on Wednesday earlier expressed dismay at the approval of the divorce bill at the House committee level. 

In a statement, Villanueva said that with this development, marriage, which is an inviolate commitment, would now "be reduced to a contractual relationship, subject to the whims of unscrupulous individuals."

Deputy Speaker and BUHAY party-list Representative Lito Atienza meanwhile slammed the supposed railroading of the proposed measure at the committee level.

He claimed that the panel did not invite family groups that could defend marriage's sanctity, noting that these organizations could present studies that will show the adverse effects of having divorced parents to children. —KG, GMA News