Divorce might soon become legal in the Philippines as the House of Representatives have approved the Absolute Divorce Act of 2018.
What does this mean for the Absolute Divorce Act of 2018?
Once the Absolute Divorce Act becomes legal, it means that couples who want to end their marriage can do so without going through the tedious process of annullment.
The law also aims to make divorce affordable, especially for poor Filipinos.
Annulment or legal separation are the only options available right now in the country. Annulment is a tedious, expensive, and messy process, and can take a very long time. Meanwhile, legal separation is another option for couples, but it won't allow them to remarry.
What effect will the divorce act have?
Groups who are against the divorce act say that the law will make it easier for couples to separate. However, proponents maintain that the law is only for couples who are no longer capable of staying together.
The law will also add a provision that a trial would start only six months after the petition has been filed. During this six-month cooling off period, the court will exhaust all efforts to try and reunite or reconcile the married couple.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman shared that the State wants to protect marriage. However, the State also has a responsibility to protect spouses in abusive marriages, or marriages that are beyond repair.
Currently, only the Philippines and the Vatican are the two countries without any divorce laws.
One out of two Filipinos agree that divorce should be legalized, according to an SWS survey conducted last March 10. However, they believe that it should only be for couples who are "irreconcilably separated."
Source: CNN Philippines
Photo: pxhere.com
READ: Divorce and annulment in the Philippines: What’s the difference?
