In a bid to address increasing number of common law relationships or “live-ins,” a bill that allows district congressmen to solemnize marriages has been filed at the House of Representatives.
In filing House Bill 5699, Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agaba seeks to empower members of the House of Representatives within their respective legislative districts as well as governors of provinces within their respective jurisdiction to solemnize matrimonial ceremony.
“The proposal to add House members and provincial governors to the list of persons authorized to solemnize marriage will give couples more options to choose their solemnizing officer and it is hoped to encourage couples to legalize their unions,” Primicias-Agabas said as the House committee on revision of laws, which she chairs, has conducted deliberations on the measure.
The bill covers regular House members and provincial governors to the list of persons authorized to solemnize marriage as provided in the Family Code. By regular House members, Primicias-Agabas said it does not include party-list representatives.
“We know for a fact that mayors have the authority to solemnize marriage, the incumbent members of the judiciary within their jurisdiction and any priest or rabbi are also authorized to solemnize marriage,” she said.
In certain instances, Primicias-Agabas said the ship captain or airplane chief, as well as military commanders in some instances, and the consul general or vice consul are given the authority to solemnize marriage but not members of the House of Representatives or governors.
Primicias-Agabas said there is an increase of common-law relationships or “live-ins” as a status of Filipino couples nowadays.
“There are also a number of instances of common law relationships, even when the couple does not have any impediment to contract marriage,” she said.
Primicias-Agabas said financial challenges, monetary difficulty, remoteness of the place of the couple or the difference in the religious beliefs are just few of the reasons that makes it difficult and cumbersome for the parties to contract marriage.
Primicias-Agabas said the bill is just limited in giving authority to House members to solemnize marriage and that marrying couples have to comply with the requirements for marriage.
She added “it is more possible for district representatives to know the people in their districts unlike the party-list whose area of jurisdiction is nationwide that it would be hard for them to determine or know their people.”
Primicias-Agabas said her panel will request for comments from agencies like the Department of Justice, the Philippine Statistics Authority and other agencies as well “so that we can have a tenable bill with regard to this one.”