MANILA (UPDATE) — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday defended her proposed divorce bill amid the call of the Catholic Church to just amend the laws on annulment and legal separation.

According to Hontiveros, the “Dissolution of Marriage Act” bill aims to provide a divorcee a clean start, and remarry without any legal hitches.

• 'Everybody deserves a second chance': Robin Padilla defends push for divorce law

“Ang unique dito sa Dissolution of Marriage bill ay hindi kailangang sisihin ang isang partner na psychologically incapable from the start. Hindi kailangang siraan siya… at kung umibig muli, gustong magtaya muli sa relasyon o even sakramento ng kasal, kung papayagan ng isang simbahan, ay pwedeng mag-asawa muli ang mga tao. Buuin muli ang kanilang pamilya,” the senator said.

Hontiveros said her bill can be called “a no-fault divorce.”

"It’s a no-fault divorce bill. Walang krimen na required na gaganapin. It will not require one spouse to say the other has psychological incapacity, it will not destroy the couple. Hindi niya iinvalidate yung simula ng kasal," she told ANC's Headstart on Thursday.

(It’s a no-fault divorce bill. There's no crime required. It will not require one spouse to say the other has psychological incapacity, it will not destroy the couple. It will not invalidate the beginning of the marriage.)

Under Hontiveros' bill, the issue of homosexuality will not be cited as a ground to dissolve the marriage to avoid any discrimination.

Hontiveros’ measure pushes for divorce under the following grounds:

• Five years of continuous separation
• Commission of rape by the respondent-spouse against the petitioner-spouse
• Physical violence
• Final decree of absolute divorce validly obtained in foreign jurisdiction
• Irreconcilable differences

In the 18th Congress, Hontiveros’ same bill was able to reach the plenary level, but failed to push through due to lack of numbers.

• 3 senador naghain ng kaniya-kaniyang bersiyon ng divorce bill

Aside from Hontiveros, senators Robin Padilla and Raffy Tulfo also filed their own versions of the divorce bill.

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