Angara vows not to support divorce bill

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines — Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has promised Archbishop Paciano Aniceto that he would not support the passage of a divorce bill.

Angara, a Team PNoy senatorial candidate, gave the pledge in response to a request from Aniceto to “uphold the sanctity of the family.”

The lawmaker called on Aniceto on Saturday at the Mater Boni Seminary here before he made campaign stops in the province.

Aniceto is head of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, which covers also the dioceses in Bataan, Zambales and Tarlac. The 76-year-old prelate used to head the Commission on Family and Life of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Angara said he agreed with the archbishop that the “family is the cornerstone of Philippine society.” He described himself as “happily married, with three children.”

The Philippines is the only country without a divorce law. The partylist group Gabriela has sponsored a divorce bill in the 13th Congress.

Aniceto did not rebuke Angara for voting for the reproductive health act, which President Aquino signed into law in January. They did not discuss the controversial law whose implementation was stopped recently by the Supreme Court.

Angara topped an online survey by Cosmo magazine, which polled 300 women as to who they considered the winnable senatorial candidates in the May 13 elections.

Cosmo conducted the survey from Feb. 19 to March 11, according to a report from Angara’s office. He was the principal author of the Magna Carta for Women.

The respondents also picked Sens. Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano and Loren Legarda, Risa Hontiveros, Teddy Casino and Jack Enrile.