MANILA, Philippines – Humiling ang Korte Suprema (SC) sa Solicitor General, amici curiae (friends of the court), at sa petitioner na nagsusulong ng pagkilala sa kanyang foreign divorce sa Pilipinas na magsumite ng written memoranda matapos ang oral arguments sa kaso.
Ayon kay Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, dapat isumite ang mga memorandum sa loob ng 20 calendar days.
Ang kaso ay mula sa petisyon ng isang Filipino-American na nakakuha ng diborsyo sa United States noong 2010, na nagpawalang-bisa sa kanyang kasal sa isang Pilipina noong 2000.
Sa pagdinig, tinanong ni Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen si Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe tungkol sa mga taong nasa “troubled relationship” kaugnay ng Article III, Section 1 ng 1987 Constitution, na nagsasaad na “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.”
Tinanong ni Leonen, “What is the fundamental state interest for citizens to stay in a troubled relationship, I do not mean violent, because that;s VAWC (Violence Against Women and Children), that;s very clear but in a troubled relationship, meaning to say they don;t see eye to eye, ayaw na nilang magkatitigan, magtinginan.”
Sumagot si Berberabe, “The state interest, your honor, is in the other Constitutional provision which provides for the inviolability of marriage.”
Sinundan ito ni Leonen ng tanong, “Would you agree with me that our capacity to love and our choice of who to love and not love is a human right?”
Tumugon si Berberabe, “Yes, your honor, it;s part of one;s autonomy.”
Binigyang-diin din ni Leonen na may iba’t ibang uri ng pamilya at maaaring maging matatag ang isang pamilya kahit walang kasal.
Sinabi niya, “And this probably is a court that can represent a lot of the kinds of relationships that we now have as Filipinos not only here but also abroad.”
Nagsagawa ang Korte Suprema ng apat na sesyon ng oral arguments, na nagsimula pa noong nakaraang taon. Jocelyn Tabangcura-Domenden
