Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, August 20 appealed to critics of the bill on dissolution of marriage to give the measure a chance and “not just for the individuals trapped in harmful marriages, but for the future of our nation.”
Hontiveros made the call as she expressed her sentiment on the measure which has yet to be debated upon by members of the Senate.
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, and sponsor and primary author of the measure, the opposition senator said she is willing to any further proposals and amendments to the bill that would be discussed in the plenary.
“Mr. President, I am willing to engage in dialogues and negotiation to come up with a bill that is acceptable across the table,” Hontiveros said in a privilege speech.
“What I ask is only that we take one step forward. Let us crack the door open. Let us do what is right, not just for the individuals trapped in harmful marriages, but for the future of our nation. Let us pass this law, and in doing so, reaffirm our commitment to justice, to human dignity, and to the well-being of every Filipino,” she said.
Hontiveros argued that the absence of a law allowing the dissolution of marriage in the Philippines is not merely a legal oversight: “it is a moral failing.”
“It is a failure to protect our citizens, particularly women and children, who are often the most vulnerable in dysfunctional marriages. It is a failure to provide an avenue for healing, for the restoration of dignity, and for the pursuit of true happiness,” she said.
“Critics of the Dissolution of Marriage Bill argue that such a law would weaken the institution of marriage and erode the moral fabric of our society,”
“Ngunit ang tanong ko po sa inyo, Mr. President, ano ba ang mas malaking sugat sa lipunan, isang sistemang bulag sa mga pasakit na sinasapit ng ating mga kababayan sa ilalim ng isang toxic at abusadong pagsasama, o isang sistema na nagbibigay ng paraan at remedyo para makalaya, maghilom, at magsimula muli? (But my question for you, Mr. President, what is the bigger wound in society, a system that is blind to the pains that our countrymen that suffer under a toxic and abusive marriage, or a system that provides a way and a remedy to break free, heal, and start over)?” she asked.
“Our Constitution guarantees the protection of the family as a basic social institution,” she pointed out.
But this protection guaranteed under the Constitution should not be one that upholds the form of the family at the expense of its substance, she said.
“A family is not merely a legal construct; it is a living, dynamic entity that thrives on love, respect, and mutual support. When these elements are absent, the family ceases to fulfill its role in society, and we, as lawmakers, must act to protect the individuals within it,” the senator explained.
“We must also recognize the impact of our inaction on the next generation. Children who grow up in homes marked by conflict and abuse are more likely to carry the scars of these experiences into their own adult lives,” she reiterated.
Hontiveros said that by providing a legal means to dissolve a marriage that has become harmful, is tantamount to providing these children the chance to grow up in an environment where peace, rather than conflict, is the norm.
The lawmaker further said that the dissolution of marriage bill is not a call to abandon the nation’s values but is a call to uphold Filipino traits and values in a way that is just, humane, and compassionate.
“It is a call to recognize that the strength of our society lies not in the rigidity of our laws, but in our capacity to adapt them to the changing needs of our people,” she said.
She further appealed to the Senate leadership and her colleagues to start the plenary debates on the dissolution of marriage bill.
“Let us not be the lawmakers who turned a blind eye to the suffering of our fellow Filipinos. Instead, let us be the ones who had the courage to bring about meaningful change—who recognized that true compassion lies in giving our people the freedom to choose a life of dignity, peace, and happiness,” she reiterated.