SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (left), Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman (PPAB, Facebook)

Two of the fiercest debaters in the House of Representatives--Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman and SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta--found themselves arguing whether or not the phrase "till death do us part" can be found in the Bible. 

This took place in plenary session Monday night, March 11 during the period of interpellation on the proposed Aboslute Divorce Act. Lagman sponsored the potentially landmark measure. 

Marcoleta stood in plenary to oppose the bill on the basis that "till death do us part" was biblical. The phrase is the most popular part of a wedding vow--and to many--seals the deal between a marrying couple. 

"Itong 'till death do us part', eh wala naman ito sa Bibliya (This 'till death do us part is not in the Bible). And I would challenge the distinguished Marcoleta to point to the Bible whether there is such a term there or a phrase there...wala po (there is none)," Lagman said. 

According to the Bilcolano, the phrase was first popularized "following the first printing of the book of common prayer in England in 1549...when the average lifespan was 47 years old". 

Marcoleta accepted the challenge to find the particular passage in scripture and wagered for Lagman to withdraw his sponsorship to the pro-divorce bill if he is successful. If not, the SAGIP solon would said he would withdraw all his interpellation. 

Despite saying that he would never back out of his sponsorship, Lagman still dared his  colleague to cite specific Bible chapter and verse, as he 

However, Marcoleta inadvertently gave suspense to the proceedings when he asked for time to fetch his notes from his office. "Wala po palang Internet dito sa loob [ng plenary] (I didn't know there was no Internet inside plenary)," he sheepishly said. 

The former deputy speaker terminated his interpellation but returned exactly four minutes later with the verse. 

"I'm citing 1st Corinthians, Chapter 7, Verse 39, which reads, and I quote, 'A woman is obligated to stay in her marriage as long as her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she's free to marry whomever she wants, only it should be believer in the Lord.' 

"So, till death to us part talaga. Kailangang mamatay po yung isa, para lang makapag-asawa ka pa ng iba (So this really means till death do us part. One must die first for you to be able to marry somebody else)," Marcoleta said. 

But Lagman noted that this didn't supply the phrase that he was looking for. 

"In fact, what he said was only with respect to the woman, not to the husband...that is completely different from till death do us part, which is addressed to both the husband and the wife," said the sponsor. 

Lagman further said that "death" in this context could mean "physical cessation of life or a metaphor that love, respect, and tolerance in the marriage had already ceased and there is no way of reconciling the spouses". 

Marcoleta responded by saying that he didn't know Lagman was looking for the exact phrase, word for word. They ended the debate on a pleasant note, with Lagman even thanking Marcoleta tongue-in-cheek for his "homily". 

Divorce is a touchy subject in the Philippines, which is a predominantly Catholic country. It is among the last few nations in the world that does not recognize divorce.