How House members voted on divorce bill

House Deputy Speaker David Suarez (left) and wife Alona Partly-list Rep. Anna Villaraza-Suarez–Photos from House of Representatives FB page and congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines — The House-approved Absolute Divorce Bill may be the most contentious bill yet passed by the 19th Congress, as it earned a narrow victory last Wednesday.

Even usual allies in the House appeared to be split on divorce: Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez voted against HB No. 9349, along with other officials like Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and Deputy Speaker David Suarez.

READ: Sotto says divorce bill lacked votes in House; Lagman says abstentions not counted 

However, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., the number two official in the House, voted in favor of HB No. 9349.

Romualdez’s protege, presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, also voted in favor of divorce.

However, aside from splitting allies into yes, no, or abstentions, it seems the divorce bill also has divided relatives in the House.

Alona party-list Rep. Anna Villaraza-Suarez, wife of Deputy Speaker Suarez, meanwhile voted in favor of divorce. ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo and Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo — wife and son of Senator Raffy Tulfo — voted in favor of divorce.

Senator Tulfo’s brother, another ACT-CIS party-list lawmaker in Rep. Erwin Tulfo, abstained.

Another family with different political stands are the Revillas: Cavite 2nd District Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla, wife of Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., opposed the divorce bill.

Their children — Agimat party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla and Cavite 1st District Rep. Ramon Jolo Revilla — abstained from voting.

Other more-known personalities like Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde and Deputy Speaker Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco voted in favor of divorce.

Atayde’s wife is social media personality and television host Maine Mendoza; Frasco meanwhile is married to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

READ: Sotto insists divorce bill was approved incorrectly: That’s not legal 

The proposed divorce bill hurdled the House last Wednesday, with 131 lawmakers voting in the affirmative, 109 in the negative, and 20 abstentions.

While it is a slim victory, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman does not see it that way — saying that a lead of 22 in any competitive basketball game would be good.

But if former Senate president Vicente Sotto III’s view is considered — that abstentions are still considered part of the quorum — then the divorce bill only got the enough number of votes to constitute a win, as a majority of 260 members is 131.