Senate bets nix divorce, dynasties

MANILA, Philippines - Ten of the 12 senatorial candidates at the Harapan 2013 election forum held in Manila last Sunday disagreed over proposals to pass a divorce law.

Only Risa Hontiveros and Edward Hagedorn favored divorce.

Hagedorn said: “If we do not have annulment, I would have been against divorce. Divorce is not a happy solution but better than prolonging a miserable union.”

Hontiveros said divorce is needed especially in cases of wife battery, marital rape and child abuse.

The candidates made known their strong stands during a live television forum at La Consolacion College in Manila.

Bam Aquino, Teddy Casiño, Rizalito David, Marwil Llasos, JC delos Reyes all invoked the need to preserve the sanctity of the family.

Aquino said: “I am not in favor of divorce law. We have legal remedies under the law, what is needed is to make the current remedies affordable.”

A majority of the senatorial candidates were also in favor of passing an anti-dynasty law.

Aquino saw a need to define anti-dynasty so people like him will know whether they can still run for office.

Casiño said he has been supportive of the proposals and that he actually authored a bill at the House of Representatives.

David believes the proliferation of political families is one of the reasons why many Filipinos remain poor.

Hagedorn said an anti-dynasty law is “long overdue” to determine up to what degree of consanguinity should be banned from running for office.

Hontiveros, Llasos, Maceda, Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Mitos Magsaysay shared the same sentiment that political dynasties must be stopped at the local level.