Sen. Loren Legarda during a public hearing of the committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Legarda said on May 30, 2024, that she is still keeping her options open, even after signing a Senate committee report on the controversial divorce bill. (Bibo Nueva Espa帽a/Senate PRIB)
MANILA,聽 Philippines 鈥� Sen. Loren Legarda is still keeping her options open, even after signing a Senate committee report on the controversial divorce bill.
Nine senators, including Legarda, have affixed their signatures to the Senate committee on women鈥檚 report on Senate Bill No. 2443, which expands the grounds for dissolution of marriage in the country.
The bill, however, remains pending before the Senate committee on rules.
鈥淣aglagda ako dun ng aking signature and that will imply that I wanted this cause because maaring napapanahon na at ating tingnan ang diskusyon kung papaano ito mapapaigting na ito鈥檡 makakasakop ng marami para mabawasan ang mga naapektuhan, naghihinagpis na mga naabusong kababaihan pati na rin kalalakihan,鈥� she said in an interview with Senate reporters on Thursday.
(I signed it and that will imply that I wanted this cause because it might be timely and we need to discuss how to strengthen this effort to reach more people and reduce the number of affected and distressed abused women and men.)
READ: Estrada鈥檚 survey shows tight tally on divorce bill at Senate
鈥淧ero titingnan natin 鈥榶ung diskusyon sa floor kasi iba-iba ang versions, right?鈥� she also said.
(However, we need to see the discussion on the floor because there are different versions, right?)
鈥淪o ang tanong: ito ba鈥檡 napapanahon? Anong version ba? Ano ba 鈥榶ung grounds? Kasi dapat maging katanggap-tangap at accessible sa mga mahihirap na pamilya na hindi kaya ang mga mamahaling abogado,鈥� the senator continued.
(So the question is: Is this timely? What version? What are the grounds? Because it should be acceptable and accessible to poor families who cannot afford expensive lawyers.)
READ: Forwarding of divorce bill to Senate on hold
The committee report was also signed by Senators Risa Hontiveros, Raffy Tulfo, Robin Padilla, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, JV Ejercito, and Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel.
Six of the nine signatories in the panel report have also affirmed their support for the bill based on the survey conducted by Senate President Pro Tempore Jingoy Estrada.
Estrada identified the six as Padilla, Poe, Hontiveos, Marcos, Cayetano, and Tulfo.
On the other hand, five senators said they are against divorce, namely: Estrada, Joel Villanueva, Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa, Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, and Senate President Francis Escudero.
In separate interviews, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Cynthia Villar also expressed their opposition to the divorce bill.
鈥淎lam naman ng lahat, I have a very happy family life聽 so I鈥檓 not in favor of divorce,鈥� Villar said in an interview on Wednesday, May 29.
The House of聽 Representatives approved last week its own version of the divorce bill.