Proposed marriage expiry is anti-women

BESIDES members of the clergy, pro-women group has questioned a proposal that would mandate a 10-year limit on the validity of marriage contract, saying that such idea is not feasible and could even hinder women victims of domestic violence from immediately getting out of their marriage.

Calling it unreasonable” and “ridiculous,” Ozamiz City councilor Irene ‘Girlet’ Luansing, Jr., said the proposal would diminish the value of marriage, making the union about as useful as an ordinary contract.

“You will not enter a relationship thinking it’s not going to last. That’s why it is a ridiculous proposal because it connotes that regardless of the state of marriage and the quality of the relationship, it will still end,” Luansing said in an interview over dxDD-AM.
Luansing said the proposal would go against the principle of promoting strong
“Ang madaot man gud niana ang kasagrado sa kaminyoon ingon man usab ang kaugmaon sa kabataan,” she commented.

Luansing added the proposal is in fact anti-women because it would hinder female victims of domestic violence to immediately get out of their marriage.

If worse comes to worse, the proposal would be able to secure congressional approval, Luansing said she will speared the women sector to oppose the anti-women proposal.
But she believes this could not seek approval, given Philippine society’s high regard for marriage.
Senatorial candidate Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza said: “Putting expiration dates on marriage contracts is arbitrary and does not seem to address the problem of couples especially women in violent relationships.”

“It could even tolerate the cycle of violence to continue as long as the contract has not yet expired,” she said.

According to Maza, there is a cycle of violence that involves the honeymoon stage and the violent stage.

“It is possible that the batterer will suddenly shift from violent stage to honeymoon stage when the 10-year expiration nears and the cycle of violence will just continue,” she said.
Isa-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso or 1-ABAA, a women’s group that applied for party-list accreditation for the May elections plans to propose a law that would require couples to renew their marriage after a decade. Otherwise, the union would be nullified.

The group’s president, Margie Tajon, claims that its “pro-women” proposal will “save the incompatible couples the trouble of going through a tedious and expensive annulment process.”
Filipino Catholic leaders have stood their ground against the proposal of a party-list group to legislate an expiration date to marriages.

CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar, a respected Canon lawyer said “Unity and indissolubility of marriage are values rooted in the bible and Christian tradition.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz, another expert in Canon Law and Chairman of the CBCP’s National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal said the proposal is “some kind of desperate approach to right a wrong by something wrong.”

“It is wrong for couples to separate and here comes a proposal for them to precisely separate,” he said.

Published in CBCPNews, the 75-year old prelate said “if those who propose temporary marriage are really serious about their proposal, they should think of its consequences.”
He identified the most serious concerns is the emotional trauma on the children whose parents separate. Besides, “this will produce a lot more children and result into population explosion,” he quipped.

He added a man who gets married at age 20 and decides not to renew his marriage with his wife can go on and on until he marries his sixth wife at age 70.
The Philippine Independence Church (PIC) in Ozamiz City is also not in favor of the 1-ABAA’s proposal.

“Unsaon na lamang unya ang kahimtang ug kaugmaon sa mga anak nga produkto sa broken marriage, kaminyuon nga giputol o giundang subay sa gikauyunang kontrata sa magtiayon?” PIC representative asked.

Due to lack of moral and family values, PIC believes juvenile delinquent will become a number one problem of the Filipino families if the said proposal be granted.(NEPTALIE BATOLENIO with reports from Wendell Talibong and Romericko Gregorio)