By Jaime Babiera
With divorce being the talk of the town recently, social media is then again a battleground for varying arguments related to this matter. From what I can see on my internet feed, both sides are fiercely making a case based on their personal ideology, religious faith, and direct experiences. Most people in the dialogues are rationally articulating their thoughts, especially those who favor the reinstitution of divorce in the Philippines. However, a few anti-divorce advocates seem to be deviating too far from the real issue and resorting to misleading information just to give strong grounds for their position. That’s why I’m writing this column to offer some clarifications on the ambiguous claims I’ve come across on social media.
First and foremost, divorce is not mandatory. When passed into law and implemented nationwide, it doesn’t necessarily mean that couples would be required to get one just because it is there. Of course, that’s not how it works. The main purpose of this legislative proposal is simply to provide an additional option for couples who are facing some sort of marital dispute and seeking a systematic way to deal with it. At the very least, divorce would be available as a potential course of action in case the married partners both decide to part ways and pursue a new shot at life.
Another thing, it is utterly absurd to say that divorce destroys happy families. We all know that this is not true because the idea of getting a divorce will not come into play if the couple is happy with the current status of their relationship. Divorce only becomes involved in a situation if the family is already on the verge of breaking up. What ruins the family relationship, then? Let me tell you a few: infidelity, irresponsibility, extreme misunderstanding, domestic violence, and many others, excluding the availability of divorce.
For now, I have nothing else to add to the discussion with regard to this issue. But before I finally end this column, let me tell you one more thing. Filipinos who support the legalization of divorce in our country do not intend to undermine the sanctity of marriage, offend one’s spiritual beliefs, or promote separation among families. They simply wish to quench their thirst for change because, apparently, our existing policies to address and resolve matrimonial problems are not very helpful. In most instances, we have witnessed for many years that the absence of divorce in the Philippines only subjects the troubled family to physical, emotional, and psychological suffering. That being the case, maybe now is the right time to open our minds and reconsider.
Email: jaime.babiera@yahoo.com / X: @jaimebabiera
