Annulments in the Philippines on the Rise

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There appears to be a 40% increase in the number of annulment cases filed between 2004-2010 from 4,520 to 8,282. This was the gist of a report submitted by the Office of the Solicitor General to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The Philippine Bishops have likewise noted that more and more annulment cases are being granted because the Office of the Solicitor General does not have enough authority to contest and appeal the annulment cases that have been granted by the trial courts. (Manila Bulletin, 27 March 2011) (Although this may not be accurate legally). That the Solicitor General has been reporting to the Catholic hierarchy should be concern enough. What ever happened to the separation of Church and State??? Could this be the carrot following in the “condoms” of the Reproductive Health Bill??
The Catholic Church in the Philippines has always been critical of the annulment process and how in its collective psyche it has been abused by Filipinos. As we have noted in another post, the Philippines and Malta are the only two states that have not allowed absolute divorce. Even in Italy, where the Vatican is, there is absolute divorce. The hypocrisy is all too jarring. Multitudes of Filipinos could not escape their abusive and long lost marriages just because of this pressure exerted by the Catholic Church on the government. Catholic Church annulment has always proven to be a tedious process, which has left annulment the only recourse for most Filipinos.

Article Source: http://deborjalaw.com/2011/03/27/annulments-in-the-philippines-on-the-rise/