Divorce bill, providing a remedy for women in abusive marriages

Divorce bill, providing a remedy for women in abusive marriages
“We cannot deny the reality that there are marriages that turn sour. There are marriages that are abusive, even violent and there are bigamous marriages. We need to address this reality and give couples in these failed marriages the option of divorce.” – GWP Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – There are nineteen victims of marital violence every day. In 2009, wife battery ranked highest among cases of violence against women at 72 percent, victimizing 6,783 women. About three out of ten perpetrators of violence against women are husbands of the victims, according to Philippine National Police (PNP).

Some 800 cases for legal separation and annulment are filed every month before the Office of the Solicitor General. Over 43,650 applications were recorded from 2001 to 2007.
These are the bases of Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) for introducing House Bill 1799 or “An Act Introducing Divorce in the Philippines.”

The GWP said that HB 1799 is based on the concrete experiences of married Filipinos. “These experiences were studied in their religious, socio-economic, political, cultural and legal context. Lessons and insights were drawn up, and from these lessons, the provisions of HB 1799 were formulated.”

GWP Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan cited studies showing that not all countries that allow divorce have a high divorce rate. Divorce statistics show that In Italy, only 12 percent of marriages end in divorce, while in Spain it is 17 percent. Both countries are predominantly Catholic.

The Catholic Church believes allowing divorce would lead to a breakdown of the family. Others who are likewise opposed to the bill thinks that a divorce law would be abused. Rep. Ilagan asserted that there are enough safeguards to prevent the divorce law from being abused. “The bill has five grounds before a divorce is granted and the couple has to undergo a rigorous process. Divorce will not be granted just because a husband or a wife is bothered by the other’s snoring. This is not like divorce Las Vegas style,” Ilagan said.

Rep. Ilagan also said that HB 1799 is not modeled after divorce systems of other countries; they call it divorce-Filipino style. “And it is sensitive to the rich and diverse cultural – including moral and religious – environment of our country.”

Divorce guarantees women’s rights 

The progressive women’s group Gabriela said that divorce provides an option to women who want to get out of abusive and unhappy marriages. “This measure will benefit women, especially those who are victims of domestic violence,” Lana Linaban, secretary general of Gabriela, said.

From 2009 to March 2011, there were 1,452 cases of marital violence that have been referred to Gabriela. This constituted 67 percent of the total number of cases of violence against women that were handled by Gabriela. Domestic violence consistently ranks highest among cases of violence against women (VAW) that Gabriela has been handling..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/06/14/divorce-bill-providing-a-remedy-for-women-in-abusive-marriages/