Fear of losing votes to kill divorce bill in House - solon

Absolute divorce remains unpopular in Congress as politicians fear less votes on election day if they support the bill.

Many congressmen believe the largely Catholic voters support the Church's stand against the passage of a law that would allow absolute divorce in the country.

Rep. Mayo Almario (Lakas, Davao Oriental), who staunchly opposes House Bill No. 8993, said many politicians are afraid to vote in favor of absolute divorce because of the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the bill.

"Politicians won't antagonize the church," he told The STAR during an interview. "Never, especially with the upcoming elections."

Earlier, Almario said about 70 percent of congressmen are opposed to the bill because nobody wants to sponsor it for fear of the Catholic Church.

However, he said his opposing the bill "does not necessarily follow that reasoning (fear of the church)" because he sees it as an anti-family measure.

"This is a personal choice," he said. "Why would I support divorce? If I support it, my wife would get mad at me. But, I would agree that many of our politicians would forever be silent on this because this is sensitive, controversial. They know it will have an effect on their political career."

But to make his position clear on the issue, Almario wrote all parishes in his province "to assure them that I'm not supporting this bill."

Earlier, The STAR reported that many Filipino Catholics are starting to consider absolute divorce as a choice that could end unhappy marriages.

They believe that couples who have "irreconcilable differences" should be allowed to legally separate and to remarry to have a stable family life.

However, Rep. Manuel Ortega (LAMP, La Union), who authored the bill on absolute divorce, said existing laws on legal separation and annulment of marriage cannot adequately respond to many failed marriages.

These laws cannot correct matters that occur during the marriage's existence, and that legal separation, which covers problems arising during the marriage, does not dissolve the marriage bonds, he added. --