SENATE President Pro-Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada revealed on Tuesday that based on his conversations with colleagues, five senators are in favor of the divorce bill and five others are against it — himself included.
In a Viber message to reporters sent by Mr. Estrada’s team, those reportedly in favor of the measure are Senators Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, Mary Grace N. Poe-Llamanzares, Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, Pia Juliana S. Cayetano, and Ferdinand “Robin” C. Padilla.
On the other hand, Mr. Estrada, Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero and Senators Francis N. Tolentino, Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, and Ronald M. dela Rosa are against it.
The senator said he surveyed his colleagues following the approval of the bill by the House of Representatives last week. A counterpart divorce bill, the proposed Dissolution of Marriage Act, is pending on second reading before the Senate.
Besides Vatican City, the Philippines is the only country in the world that bars divorce, which outlawed it almost a century ago.
“I have been and still am not in favor of legalizing divorce in our country,” Mr. Estrada said. “Instead of pushing for an absolute divorce law, which is proscribed by the Constitution, perhaps a bill with a well-defined ground nullifying a marriage would be a much-welcomed alternative.”
Under the approved House bill, grounds for absolute divorce include psychological incapacity, marital abuse, and irreconcilable differences, among others. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
