Abused Filipinas pin hopes on legalized divorces

MANILA — Although her husband nearly killed her, Krista Dador cannot get a divorce as the Philippines is one of only two states — along with the Vatican — without a divorce law.

The prohibitive cost of an annulment means that Dador, who has received no financial support from her husband since they separated eight years ago, is looking to work as a maid in the Middle East, leaving their two children behind with her mother.

“This is a risk I’m taking,” said the 28-year-old, who makes a living washing neighbors’ laundry in Quezon City. “I want my children to be in school because I was not — and because I want to earn money to pay for my annulment.”

The Philippines took a step toward making divorce legal in March with the lower house of Congress passing a law allowing people to dissolve marriages, in the face of opposition from bishops in the mainly Roman Catholic country.

Even though thousands of women want to end failed and abusive relationships, the bill is unlikely to receive the support it needs from the upper house Senate, which has to draft and pass what is known as a counterpart bill, campaigners said.

The only option for unhappy couples is to seek a legal separation, which does not allow either party to remarry, or a civil annulment, which rights groups say is lengthy and costly — as Dador found out.

Marriage can only be annulled on limited grounds, such as insanity or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Abuse and infidelity are not valid reasons.

A 2017 survey by independent pollster Social Weather Stations found that 53 percent favored legalization of divorce in the Philippines.

The number of annulment cases increased to more than 8,000 in 2017 from about 1,000 in 2008, according to figures from the Office of the Solicitor General.

The influential Catholic Church said the government should never offer divorce as an option but use other laws to stop abuse instead.

Journalist Mar-Vic Cagurangan said she worked day and night to raise $2,000 for her annulment, while also paying her two children’s school fees. The average income in the Philippines is just over $3,500, according to the World Bank.

“Everybody deserves to be happy,” she said. “People deserve to move on — romantically, mentally and legally.”