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[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’RAMBLINGS OF THE UNMARRIED | Mission: Zero annulment’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY GORDON Q. GUILLERGAN
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Thursday, April 6, 2017
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“The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity but the achievement of serenity within and above it.” – Reinhold Niebuhr
MANY WOULD be a little alarmed with the increasing number of marriage annulment cases in the Philippines. Since there are so many petitions but very few available courts for these cases, many believe this would result to a slower resolution of every petition.
Every court does not only deal with these petitions but many other cases. Hence many believe that to avoid the clogging of court dockets it’s high time that we resort to divorce. Many believe this is a more expeditious alternative to annulment.
Is divorce really the answer? Will the family, an inviolable social institution, be left unprotected?
There are sufficient safeguards to protect marriage and the family, according to Atty. Ed Pamaos on the Philippine e-Legal Forum.
He stated that without a divorce law, and with the perceived “relaxation” of the rules on petitions for declaration of marriage nullity, it’s normal to be hesitant about the flood of cases choking court dockets. This possible onslaught might also be interpreted as an attack on the institution of marriage.
In EACH and EVERY petition for marriage annulment or declaration of nullity of marriage, the State – through the Office of the Solicitor General and the public prosecutors – is mandated by law to participate and ensure that the institution of marriage is amply protected. According to the Supreme Court, it “need not worry about the possible abuse of the remedy provided by Article 36, for there are ample safeguards against this contingency, among which is the intervention by the State, through the public prosecutor, to guard against collusion between the parties and/or fabrication of evidence. The Court should rather be alarmed by the rising number of cases involving marital abuse, child abuse, domestic violence and incestuous rape.”
I feel this speaks more of how we see marriage and family life. We are living in a fast-paced life and we are always opting for everything fast. The decision to get married is sometimes hurriedly made only to realize that we are not ready for it yet.
Gone are the days when our parents and grandparents had to court for years and maintain a certain expectation before deciding to get married. Gone are the days when much patience, understanding perseverance is exerted in a marriage. Gone are the days when the family reigns supreme over anything else, next to God and country, of course.
Today when arguments are left unresolved we lose love and let pride win. When marriage hits a pothole we give up and want the fast fix – annulment.
The sad part is not the idea of many resorting to annulment but fact that we are so proud to admit we are wrong and refuse to give a simple apology.
This is what I see as the root of all these. The more married individuals learn the value of compromise and letting love win, there will be lesser marriage annulments. (gordon.qg@hotmail.com/PN)
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