House approves absolute divorce bill, transmission to Senate delayed

House Bill 9349, which allows absolute divorce, was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives on May 22 but has not yet been transmitted to the Senate due to Secretary General Reginald Velasco's ongoing foreign travel.

Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman wrote a letter expressing concern over the delay in transmitting the bill, noting that despite corrections to the vote count showing 131 affirmative votes against 109, no member has protested or challenged the result.

Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas emphasized that allowing divorce is crucial for providing abused women a way to escape domestic violence and rebuild their lives.

Opponents like Manila Rep. Bienvenido 'Benny' Abante Jr., however, urged fellow House members to 'slow down' on pronouncements about the bill becoming law, citing concerns over the vote count.

The Office of the Secretary General's staff announced a 126-109-20 vote during plenary but corrected it to 131-126-109 the next day.

In an upcoming Rappler Talk episode, political and public health reporter Kaycee Valmonte will discuss efforts to legalize divorce in the Philippines with Lagman.