Women's group wants expiry date on marriage

MANILA, Philippines - A party-list group representing separated and abandoned women proposed yesterday the enactment of a law that will mandate a 10-year marriage validity to spare incompatible couples the expense of lengthy legal proceedings before their marriages are annulled.

The women’s party-list group 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) said that marriage licenses should be similar to passports that could be renewed, but marriage licenses should have an expiration period of at least 10 years. Failure to renew the license would automatically render the marriage null and void.

“By putting a prescription period on the marriage license, the couple will be spared from the legal process that is clogging our courts of law,” Margie Tajon, president of 1-ABAA, told reporters during the Daungan ng Balita news forum held at the Danarra Hotel in Quezon City.

Tajon said the group expects strong opposition from the Catholic Church and other groups on the proposed measure but they will fight for the passage of the law in Congress for the benefit of abandoned and separated women who are forced to raise their family alone because they have no right and freedom to look for new partners.

“A marriage license should be just like a passport or driver’s license. If we are not interested to renew it, then it expires,” she said.

Tajon said if a couple is serious in making their marriage binding then they should renew it after 10 years.

She said the expiration of the marriage license will allow couples to assess their relationship and instead of filing a civil case for the nullification of the marriage, they can just allow the license to expire and subsequently search for new partners in life.

“We are tough women, we will fight for our right to be free from the bondage of marriage,” Tajon said.

Nacionalista Party senatorial candidate Ramon Mitra Jr., who was also present at the forum, said the proposal of 1-ABAA has inspired him to form a group representing battered husbands.

Mitra said he would support the creation of Bagong Alyansa ng mga Ginoong Sinisigawan at Inaapi ng Kababaihan (BAGSIK) so that both battered men and women would have a level playing field.

Mitra said if there are tough women there are also BAGSIK men who need equal protection under the law.