Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman stated that the 1987 Constitution does not prohibit the enactment of a divorce bill, citing the absence of any such provision in the current and previous constitutions of the Philippines.
Lagman, the principal author of House Bill 9349, highlighted that marriage is recognized as a social institution susceptible to human frailties, which sometimes necessitates divorce.
He pointed out that the 1986 Constitutional Commission, led by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, agreed that Congress could enact an absolute divorce law.
Divorce is already allowed for Muslim Filipinos and the Catholic Church has its own form of canonical divorce, Lagman noted.
He emphasized that while most Filipino couples have enduring marriages, divorce provides a crucial option for those in irreparably damaged marriages, protecting children from physical and psychological trauma.
Source: PhilNews24 | July 1, 2024
