Vice President Leni Robredo does not believe that divorce is the answer for women to get out of bad marriages, citing economic empowerment as a core to fighting against abuses within a marriage.

During CNN’s “The Filipino Votes: Presidential Debate” on Sunday, Feb. 27, the presidential aspirant shared her experiences as a volunteer lawyer for non-government organization Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal (SALIGAN) and why she is opposed to divorce for now.

“Pero para maprotektahan sila, kailangan tulungan natin ang mga kababaihan (But to protect them, we need to help women) through economic empowerment. Ito 'yung magbibigay sa kanilang lakas para hindi i-tolerate 'yung abuses na nasa-suffer nila (This is what will give them strength not to tolerate the abuses they are suffering),” she said.

Robredo earlier explained that the number one reason why women cannot get out of bad marriages is because they rely on their husbands financially.

Empowering them through jobs and livelihood will give them the capability to walk away from abuses, she had said.

Despite being mostly progressive in her political, economic, and social stances, the Vice President explained that for now, she will not be pushing for a divorce bill in the Philippines if she becomes president.

The Philippines is the last country in the world without divorce.

She instead wants to strengthen and improve the country’s laws on the annulment of marriage and declaration of nullity of marriage since these laws are not accessible to all because of the costs associated with one of their requirements, the psychological examination.

But Robredo lauded a recent Supreme Court decision that will make these these examinations accessible to the poor and underprivileged.

“Napakamahal nito (psychological exam), hindi siya accessible para sa mga mahihirap kaya nagiging accessible lang siya sa mayayaman. Pero meron nang bagong Supreme Court decision na ito ay mababago na 'yung mukha nito, magiging accessible na siya (This is so expensive, it is not accessible to the poor and it becomes accessible only to the rich. But there’s a new Supreme Court decision that will change it, it will become more accessible),” she explained.

The Vice President was referring to the Tan-Andal v. Andal G.R. No. 196359, which stated that "psychological incapacity is not a medical but a legal concept" and that such psychological incapacity "need not be a mental or personality disorder or a permanent and incurable condition."

The ruling also added that the testimony of the psychologist or psychiatrist is not always mandatory for all cases.

As an alternative lawyer, Robredo handled cases of women abused by their husbands and victims of sexual harassment.

However, she also earlier said that her stand on divorce is not set on stone, and she is willing to discuss it further with stakeholders.