00:00 In a country hooked on Catholicism and Christianity, expect liberal philosophies and lifestyles
00:05 to be eschewed or frowned upon by a still conservative majority.
00:10 Case in point, the proposition for divorce has never gained traction, especially among
00:14 lawmakers in both houses.
00:17 Our Daniel Manalastas on senators practically shutting the door on divorce and making the
00:22 case for a hugely costly alternative of annulment.
00:29 Lawmakers are still weighing in on the possibility of passing the dissolution of marriage or
00:33 rather the divorce bill.
00:35 The bill already hurdled the Senate panel and is subject to plenary debate at this juncture.
00:41 But for Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, divorce is a big no for him.
00:46 But he is in favor of simplifying the annulment procedure and broadening its access, especially
00:52 to the poor.
00:53 Villanueva said his personal view remains the same on the proposed measure, but he believes
01:00 there are marriages which resulted in physical harm, violence, and a shutdown in communications,
01:07 which begs to be determined or ended in the interest of both parties.
01:12 He added this is where the annulment may come in.
01:15 In the Declaration of Nullity of Marriage, Villanueva stressed the need to facilitate,
01:21 process, and broaden its access to every citizen.
01:24 Meanwhile, for Senator J.V.
01:26 Ejercito, people should weigh the pros and consequences of the bill.
01:31 We will discuss it on the floor.
01:33 We will hear the pros and cons.
01:34 It is not yet clear with regards to the bill.
01:38 Ejercito added, as a Christian nation, it is difficult and costly to have one's marriage
01:44 annulled.
01:45 Still, the bottom line is...
01:47 The bottom line is people don't deserve to be miserable.
01:53 We just want to be happy.
01:56 So if it's irreparable, irreconcilable, then I guess we have to give people second chances
02:06 on their lives.
02:11 Daniel Manalastas for The Nation.
