Hontiveros appeals to fellow senators: Give divorce bill a 'fair fight'

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday appealed to her fellow senators to give the divorce bill a "fair fight."

The principal author of one of the measures on dissolution of marriage in the Senate made the remark after Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said that the measure is not a priority of the new leaders of the upper chamber.

"Maraming panukalang batas dito sa Senado na, kahit hindi prayoridad o wala sa LEDAC, ay pumapasa naman, di ba? Sapat na sa akin yung sinabi naman ni [Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero] na magiging conscience vote ito," Hontiveros said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum.

(There are many bills here in the Senate that, even if they are not a priority or not in LEDAC, were passed. It is enough for me that Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero said that it will be a conscience vote.)

Estrada recently said that it would be a "close fight" between the pro and anti-divorce senators.

Hontiveros, however, said that the head count initiated by Estrada among her fellow senators is not yet complete.

"Para sa akin, yun lang naman ang hinihingi, lalung-lalo na, ng mga divorce advocates organizations, fair fight lang. Kasi, ang kakabit ng fair fight na iyan ay yung second chance sa pag-ibig, pagtataya, buong family life ulit," said Hontiveros.

(For me, that's all the divorce advocates are asking for, especially, just a fair fight. Because, what comes with that fair fight is a second chance at love, marriage, and whole family life again.)

"At sino ba naman tayo para ipagkait yun?" she added.

(And who are we to deny that.)

The Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality has already released a committee report on the proposed measure for dissolution of marriage in September 2023.

Meanwhile, a recent survey from Social Weather Stations showed Half of Filipino adults nationwide support the legalization of divorce for irreconcilably separated couples.

Aside from the Divorce Bill, Hontiveros also appealed to the new Senate leadership to act on the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) bill which remains pending on second reading in the Upper Chamber.

This comes after Escudero said that the Anti-Discrimination Bill has higher chances of passage if the current version of the SOGIESC Bill will not be amended.

"Kung amyenda lang ang gusto ng mga kasama, game! Paabutin na natin sa period of amendments," she said.

(If the comrades only want an amendment, game! Let's get to the period of amendments.)

The opposition lawmaker also shared anew that she already asked newly installed Majority Leader Francis Tolentino to report out the SOGIESC Bill to the plenary so it can progress in the Senate.

Hontiveros pointed out that the signatures on the SOGIESC Bill are already three-fourths of the members of the Senate.

"Patunay na hindi iyan divisive o pampagulo lang. Ayan po ay nakabuo ng three-fourths unity ng Senado. At yan po ay magdadala, magbibigay-daan sa kapanatagan ng loob sa marami-raming mga couples at pamilya," she said.

Last May 8, the Senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, conducted a hearing on several comprehensive anti-discrimination bills which were proposed by some senators in lieu of the SOGIESC Bill.

To recall, the SOGIESC Bill produced by Hontiveros-led Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality had been referred to the Committee on Rules for further study after receiving opposition from several religious groups and various sectors. —VAL, GMA Integrated News