Divorce bill won’t kill
To combat domestic violence and emphasize the importance of having freedom and options, the divorce bill should be passed and legalized in the country without reservation.
The legalization of divorce doesn’t undermine agreeable families. Divorce isn’t the enemy of cheerful relationships. Divorce can be a defensive apparatus against abusive behavior at home, which is a fair justification for why it ought to be authorized.
The Philippines is one of the last two countries where divorce is illegal, trapping women in loveless marriages forever.
Looking at the numbers, they wouldn’t tell lies. It only tells the truth about alarming cases related to violence against women and children in the country. It must be stopped, and strengthening the monitoring of the implementation of laws that protect women’s rights should be the next move. It’s about time to put an end to these practices and exercises for a long time. Based on Gabriela’s data, the search queries in the Philippines related to violence against women and children (VAWC) and sexual, physical, and psychological violence increased by 63 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this issue at hand, the Senate and the House of Representatives should take it upon themselves to deliver and pass the bill to end spousal violence and any form of violence against women and children, and to free people from toxic marriages. The Marcos administration should use its machinery and mandate to implement urgent measures to bridge the difficulty that VAWC victims face in seeking help and providing actual services for them.
We need to make people listen, understand, and care. It is time to accept that not all marriages have happy endings; abusing someone is more unholy than ending a marriage that is full of vitriol.
Abdul Hafiz Tacoranga Malawani,
student, Mindanao State University Marawi
