FILE PHOTO: The preliminary results of Senate President Professional Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s survey reveals a neck-and-neck battle for and in opposition to the controversial divorce invoice. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Uni
MANILA, Philippines — The preliminary results of Senate President Professional Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s survey confirmed a neck-and-neck battle for and in opposition to the controversial divorce invoice.
Based mostly on a listing that Estrada launched to the media on Tuesday, 5 senators have to date voted in favor of divorce, whereas 5 stated they’re in opposition to it.
Senators backing the proposed divorce legislation are Robin Padilla, Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, and Pia Cayetano.
READ: Home revises ‘sure’ vote on divorce invoice’s approval to 131 from 126
Estrada, in the meantime, included his identify within the checklist of lawmakers in opposition to it together with newly-installed Senate President Francis Escudero, Majority Chief Francis Tolentino, and Senators Joel Villanueva and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
“I assumed it was a good suggestion to place up a survey as a result of the Home handed it already on third studying. So, I simply need to get their ideas on it,” Estrada stated in an interview with Senate reporters about his survey.
Earlier than adjourning the second common session of the nineteenth Congress final week, the Home of Representatives authorized on Might 22 the controversial divorce invoice with 126 members voting for it. A complete of 109 members voted in opposition to the prompt legislation, whereas 20 members abstained from voting.
A day later, the Home clarified that 131 members, not 126, voted to approve the measure.
Within the Senate, its committee on ladies already authorized a counterpart invoice though it stays pending earlier than the committee on guidelines.
9 senators signed the committee report: Hontiveros, Padilla, Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Poe, Loren Legarda, Raffy Tulfo, JV Ejercito, and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel.
Estrada likewise defined throughout the interview why he opposed the introduction of divorce to the Philippines.
“I’m a religious Catholic,” Estrada stated.
“And there’s one other treatment. Mayroon namang annulment and siguro iyong annulment pabilisin na lang ang annulment circumstances, kasi let’s face it, might kamahalan ang annulment,” he added.
(And there’s one other treatment. There may be annulment, and perhaps we should always expedite annulment circumstances as a result of, let’s face it, annulment is kind of costly.)
Like Estrada, Escudero has additionally been in opposition to divorce and leans towards a extra reasonably priced and accessible annulment.
The brand new Senate chief stated earlier that he expects his colleagues to vote on the divorce invoice based mostly on conscience and private beliefs.
Ejercito, in the meantime, stated he’s presently within the technique of discernment, noting that divorce is a “tough” problem.
“I’m leaning right now to be in favor,” he, nonetheless, stated in an announcement.
Raised a Roman Catholic, Ejercito acknowledged the Church’s arguments on the sanctity of marriage.
“However I additionally know that plenty of Filipino {couples} are trapped in loveless and unworkable marriages,” he stated.
“It isn’t their fault. Typically issues simply don’t work out. I additionally consider that everybody deserves one other likelihood to be comfortable in life,” the senator added.