By: Ben R. Rosario
Lawmakers must hold a family conference to consult children and spouses before making a decision to either support or reject the bill seeking to legalize dissolution of marriages, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said.
Atienza rallied Filipino families to join a united front to oppose House Bill 6027 which provides for grounds for the dissolution of a marriage.
Atienza said HB 6027 is actually a divorce bill concealed in legal jargon to make it acceptable to Filipinos.
“Let’s see how a congressman’s family, or his wife, will react to this measure. But it is also equally important for us to consult our constituents and the church to which they belong,” the pro-life solon said.
The former Manila Mayor warned that HB 6027 is not only unconstitutional but will also “destroy the very foundation of the family unit.”
He explained that the Constitution clearly protects both the family and marriage as “inviolable institutions that should be enhanced and strengthened.”
The opposition leader also agreed that there is a strong possibility that HB 6027 may get backing from political leaders in the country because of their current social status.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, and President Rodrigo Duterte are separated from their legal spouse.
Aside from Alvarez, several authors of HB 6027 have also experienced rocky marriages which ended up to separation.
Alvarez, together with Liberal Party stalwarts Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay and Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, is a principal author of HB 6027.
Also included in the list of co-authors are House Deputy Speakers Gwendolyn F. Garcia and Pia Cayetano; Reps. Nancy A. Catamco (PDP-Laban, North Cotabato) and Ana Cristina Siquian Go (PDP-Laban, Isabela), and Rodel M. Batocabe (Ako Bicol partylist).
