Absolute Divorce Bill Passes House; What Happens Next?

(SPOT.ph) A significant hurdle has been cleared on the divorce bill's road to legalization in the Philippines: the House of Representatives officially approved the proposal on its third and final reading on Wednesday, May 22.

A total of 131 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill No. 9349, while 109 voted against it and 20 abstained, according to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco on Thursday.

Now, you may be wondering what's next. The bill will have to get approval from the Senate before reaching the President's desk for a final yes, a veto, or it will simply lapse into law if neither action is taken. So that means we will now have to wait on the Senate's decision.

Also read:House Okays Absolute Divorce Bill on 2nd Reading (spot.ph)

On today's Kapihan sa Senado, newly installed Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said the chamber would decide on the matter based on conscience and personal beliefs.

"Walang party, walang majority, walang minority stand dito. Personal na desisyon base sa kani-kanilang paniniwala at relihiyon ang mangyayari dyan kada senador," the new Senate chief said.

"At bilang tagapangulo ng Senado, wala akong balak dumiin pabor o kontra dito," Escudero stressed.

Escudero insisted that making annulment more affordable and accessible is a better choice than allowing divorce as approved by the House of Representatives, believing that this could be done by letting the Public Attorney's Office handle marriage annulment cases.

How does the Divorce Bill come into effect?

If the Senate approves the bill, the bill is authenticated and transmitted to the President. If amendments are introduced, the bill is transmitted to the House of Representatives.

If the House agrees to the amendments, the bill is authenticated and transmitted to the President. Otherwise, the differences will be settled by the Conference Committees of the Senate and the House.

That means the next crucial step is for the Senate to approve the bill, too.

What is the House Bill No. 9349, a.k.a. the Divorce Bill?

Authored by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, House Bill No. 9349, or the Absolute Divorce Act, seeks to reinstitute absolute divorce as an alternative mode for the dissolution of marriage.

As Lagman put it, the Absolute Divorce Act "signals the imminent liberation for Filipino wives who are entombed in toxic, abusive, and long-dead marriages."

What counts as grounds for absolute divorce?

Under the Divorce Bill, the following are considered grounds for absolute divorce:

• Physical violence or moral pressure to compel the petitioner to change religious or political affiliation
• Attempt of respondent to corrupt or induce the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner, to engage in prostitution, or connivance in such corruption or inducement
• Final judgment sentencing the respondent to imprisonment of more than six (6) years, even if pardoned
• Drug addiction or habitual alcoholism or chronic gambling of the respondent
• Homosexuality of the respondent
• Contracting by the respondent of a subsequent bigamous marriage, whether in the Philippines or abroad
• Marital infidelity or perversion or having a child with another person other than one’s spouse during the marriage, except when upon the mutual agreement of the spouses, a child is born to them through in vitro fertilization or a similar procedure or when the wife bears a child after being a victim of rape
• Attempt by the respondent against the life of the petitioner, a common child or a child of the petitioner
• Abandonment of petitioner by respondent without justifiable cause for more than one (1) year.
• When the spouses are legally separated by judicial decree for more than two (2) years, either spouse can petition the proper Family Court for an absolute divorce based on said judicial decree of legal separation