ShareThisMANILA – Is the Philippines headed to legalizing divorce?
The poser is raised after the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) noted that marriage annulment cases among Filipinos in the Philippines are rising.
In fact, the increase is 40 percent during the past 10 years alone. The study showed that more women (61 percent) were filing annulment petitions more than men (39 percent).
The CBCP disclosed came after the Office of the Solicitor General revealed the increasing annulment cases.
According to reports, annulment of marriages in the Philippines rose by more than 40 percent over the past 10 years — from 4,520 cases in 2001 to 8,282 in 2010.
On the average, at least 22 cases are being filed every day according to the document signed by Solicitor General Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz, the Assistant Solicitor General Karl B. Miranda and one Attorney Christer James Ray A. Gudiano.
According to the OSG report, the common grounds for legal separation or declaration of nullity is psychological incapacity, which can be found in Article 36 of the Family Code and can be cited as a ground for legal separation or nullity of marriage.
Other grounds include lack of authority of the solemnizing officer, bigamous or polygamous marriages and marriages where one or both parties were below the marrying age allowed by law.
It was learned that among those who filed for annulment, 61 percent were women with only 39 percent men.
“The study noted the longer the parties are married, the lesser chances of them seeking annulment of their marriage,” the OSG document said.