Should district lawmakers, governors solemnize marriage, too?

The House committee on revision of laws has started deliberating on a proposal that would give district congressmen and provincial governors authority to solemnize marriages within their respective jurisdictions.

House Bill No. 5699, authored by Pangasinan 6th Dist. Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, seeks to amend the list of persons authorized to solemnize a marriage, as provided under Article VII, Section 1 of Executive Order No. 209 or the Family Code.

Under the Family Code, mayors, incumbent members of the judiciary, and any priest or rabbi are authorized to solemnize marriages within their jurisdictions. In certain instances, ship captains or airplane chiefs, as well as military commanders and consul generals or vice consuls are also given this authority.

During a hearing on Tuesday, Primicias-Agabas noted there had been an increase in common law relationships or “live-ins” due to “financial challenges, monetary difficulty, remoteness of the place of the couple or the difference in the religious beliefs.”

“The proposal to add House members and provincial governors to the list of persons authorized to solemnize marriage will give couples more options to choose their solemnizing officer, and it is hoped to encourage couples to legalize their unions,” she said.

But Primicias-Agabas clarified that her bill only seeks to give the authority to solemnize marriages to district congressmen, excluding party-list representatives.

“I have this opinion personally that if you are a district representative, you have a regular district, you have your own area of jurisdiction,” she argued.

The lawmaker said she would request comments from the Department of Justice, Philippine Statistics Authority, and other concerned agencies regarding her proposed measure.  /kga