Delos Santos: When does separation needed?

KRIS Aquino's turbulent marital and extra-marital affairs, is one reason for divorce. She is presently locked in a legal battle with husband James Yap. She wants to end, and had in fact, ended her marriage. She wants this annulled. Naturally, James Yap is opposing it as this would make their son illegitimate for being a child out of wedlock. Worse, James son with Kris would henceforth be deprived of the use of his father's name. It is entirely different with her other son, Joshua. Joshua could have been any father's son but will remain an Aquino because her union with Philip Salvador, Joshua's father, was without the benefit of marriage.

This would explain why Kris is moving for an annulment, for then, the dissolution of marriage would completely wipe out James' paternal claims.
But I do not think the court would grant her motion. Contrary to her claim that her marriage to James was null and void for having been officiated in an unlicensed church, the minister who officiated it is licensed and continues to officiate marriages until now. Voidable are those that are null and void from the beginning and her marriage to James is definitely not.

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In fact, it may not be because she wants James Yap's paternity over her son legally nullified. I think the desired annulment is so that she can find herself another husband without opening herself to the charge of adultery if James Yap has a mind to hail her for it. Of course, it would be more scandalous if the President's sister were to be pronounced an adulteress.

Neither is legal separation an option for her. Legal separation does not dissolve the marriage. It grants her the right to a husband. A lover perhaps, as she had done a number of times. But she is now the President's sister, and taking a lover is a no, no.

Which is why legalizing divorce would work in Kris Aquino's favor. As it will to many others whose marriages have become intolerable to continue. Ending it is the only alternative.

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Dividing Bacolod City may look good on paper but it is really not as desirable as it looks. Aside from the city's getting an extra 70 million from another congressman, many other things are not factored in by those who are dying to divide the city. For one, the new congressman will have an office of his own, with his own staff and all the other perks of a congressional office. Very probably, there will be another engineering district office, also complete with its own retinue.

Here's the clincher: instead of having just one thief, now we will have two.

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The general impression therefore is that Golez is pushing it to accommodate Leonardia, whose term as mayor ends in 2013. Bing, who seems cannot live without holding elective office, has nowhere to go except run for Congress. But Golez already occupies the seat. So where will he go except another office that has to be created for him.

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Golez might feel like the remedy patriarch who, when told that his John, is worrying about losing the presidential election, said: "Don't worry son. If you lose I'll buy you another country".

There is absolutely no reason why Golez needs to accommodate Leonardia. As shown in the last election, he is absolutely impregnable. He does not owe Leonardia a single vote. In fact it is Leonardia who owes him for without infusing his millions into Leonardia's campaign; Monico Puentevella would have sent Leonardia to retirement.

If this is Golez' way of paying Leonardia back, gerrymandering is too costly a way for paying on an imagined debt.