03-07-2025
Marcos open to studying divorce bill, but says marriage should be preserved
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains undecided on the proposed Absolute Divorce Act currently pending in Congress, according to Malacañang. While previously expressing openness to legal divorce, Marcos emphasizes that such a process should not be made easy and must be carefully studied to protect the sanctity of marriage.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified that the President is waiting to review the bill's full provisions before taking a position. She noted that some grounds for legal separation are now being proposed as grounds for divorce.
Castro added that while even the Catholic Church recognizes annulments in irreparable marriages, the President's priority is still to strengthen families, especially for the welfare of children. His decision on the bill will also weigh in on public opinion and religious sentiment.
Two versions of the divorce bill—House Bill 108 and House Bill 210—have been refiled in Congress to provide legal divorce as an alternative to annulment and legal separation, particularly benefiting abused or disadvantaged spouses.
As a 2022 presidential candidate, Marcos said he saw real-life cases where divorce helped families but warned that it should not be made an 'easy out.' He urged couples to work hard on saving their marriage first before turning to divorce as a last resort.
