THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines yesterday slammed a lawmaker for refiling a proposed measure that intends to legalize divorce in the country.
In a statement, Fr. Jerome Secillano, CBCP public affairs committee head, said the proposed measure of Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman is “unfortunate” since it focuses on ending marriages instead of fixing them or strengthening marital bond.
Secillano said lawmakers should train their sights on crafting measures aimed at uplifting the economy amid the pandemic.
“To think that Filipinos are embroiled in much bigger problems, the likes of Lagman are busy advancing their irrational advocacies instead of legislating policies that will thumb down the negative impacts of unrelenting oil price increase, inflation, fare hike, unemployment and COVID-19,” Secillano said.
In refiling the bill, Lagman said the state “cannot abandon couples and their children in a house on fire.”
Lagman said House Bill No. 78 or the proposed “Absolute Divorce Act” is an “apt sequence to the Reproductive Health Act,” adding that divorce is also a women’s rights issue.
“It is a fact that some marriages break down even with the couples’ resolution and repeated efforts to solve differences and reconcile,” Lagman said in his explanatory note, adding that absolute divorce would be made “affordable, expeditious, and inexpensive.”
