MANILA, Philippines — Call it dissolution of marriage, instead of divorce, and many senators may probably support it, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Monday.
Sotto said he himself will support if it is called dissolution of marriage.
“Ah oo kung ‘yun (dissolution of marriage) ang term,” he said in an interview at the Senate.
Since the 18th Congress opened on July 22, at least two divorce bills have already been filed by Senators Risa Hotiveros and Pia Cayetano.
Senator Grace Poe, who previously opposed the measure, has also expressed inclination to support the proposal now.
Sotto, however, said many of his colleagues are reluctant to support the measure because of the word “divorce.”
READ: Koko: Just don’t call it divorce
“Andudun ‘yung problema,” he said, “Mukhang madali sa karamihan sa amin, mas madali kung pag uusapan natin eh ‘yung dissolution of marriage. In other words, it is an upgraded annulment law.”
Unlike divorce, Sotto explained that dissolution of marriage would simply relax the existing annulment process by making it more efficient and affordable.
“Open sila basta’t hindi word na divorce ang gagamitin,” he said.
“There’s more probability or possibility of support if it is not called divorce or if we’re not talking of divorce but we’re talking of dissolution of marriage,” the Senate leader added.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri agreed with Sotto, saying that an efficient annulment would be “more acceptable” to their colleagues.
“Ayoko lang mangyari na parang American-style divorce. Parang Las Vegas…” Zubiri said, noting how married couples could easily get divorce in the United States.
“Ayoko ng medyo dysfunctional ang dating ng concept of marriage,” he further said. /kga