Cayateno: Psychological incapacity most common ground for annulment

MANILA, Philippines - Senator and vice presidential bet Alan Peter Cayetano defended his running mate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and argued that “psychological incapacity” is the most common reason used by couples in filing a marriage annulment.

Speaking at a rally in Pandacan, Manila on Saturday, Cayetano said that what media did not say was that “psychological incapacity” is the reason cited by all couples filing for annulment in the Philippines.

“Lahat ng nagpapa-annul sa Pilipinas, ganon din ang nakalagay sa kanilang kaso, kasi po lahat ng nagpapa-annul iisa ang ginagamit, psychological incapacity,” he said.

Cayetano said if he had been an annulment lawyer, he would use psychological incapacity in all cases he would handle.

Cayetano added that the Supreme Court had also ruled that while one may be psychologically incapacitated to be a husband or wife to one particular man or woman, it does not mean one is psychologically incapacitated to be a spouse to another person.

“Kaya nga pwede kang mag-asawa muli (That is why one can marry again),” he said.

 Also during the Pandacan rally, Duterte twitted his rival, Vice President Jejomar Binay for daring him to take a psychological test.

Binay earlier urged Duterte to have himself checked by a psychiatrist in Makati, where the test can be taken for free, because the stress of the campaign seems to be affecting him greatly.

“Binay said he wants the two of us to undergo a psychological test. I said that is dangerous for him and might backfire because when the psychiatrist tests our brains, it will come out that your hands are itchy. That is why God put you in Makati,” Duterte said.

The vice president had made the challenge after documents on the annulment of Duterte’s marriage with his first wife were made public.

Duterte stressed that “psychological incapacity” is the reason cited in all annulment proceedings in the Philippines.

“This merely means you cannot comply with your marital obligation to be a true husband," he said.