Lobaton files church annulment

BACOLEÑA Jewel Mae Lobaton, the estranged wife of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, filed a church annulment at the Diocese of Bacolod Tuesday.

She said she filed it so that she can fully move on with her life.

"The people have to know also that I am doing something about my marriage and to let the public know that Koko and I must be respected also that what happened to us is very personal. I have initiated this because we want to show to the people that we are fixing our lives. We agreed that I will file the Church annulment, as he is too busy to file it himself," she said.

Monsignor Vic Rivas said it is okay that Lobaton filed her annulment in Bacolod as she is a resident of the said city despite the fact that they got married in Cagayan de Oro.

She said the annulment is important if a person wants to re-marry.

"When you want to re-marry in a church, you need to annul the marriage done in a church. The process is to fill out the forms at the Cannon Law Office and Msgr. Rivas is the judge. There is a case history and both spouses will be interviewed and the witnesses. If the Church sees that our marriage did not fit, then they will grant it. It can also be possible that the Church will not grant it. It takes a year to have a decision. If I am Church annulled and if not civilly annulled, I can marry in the Church or be under the Christian rites," she said.

When asked if she will support her husband's reelection bid, she said,
she will campaign for him in her free time.

As to her relationship with Bacolod City Lone District Representative Anthony Golez Jr., she said, "He is a good man. However, getting into another relationship is not in my priority list."

On the kissing photo, she said it is also fabricated.

Lobaton, for the meantime, said she wants to remain as a woman of God and a mother to her two little boys.

She also denied that she was the cause of the break-up of Congressman Golez and his estranged wife Princess Soraya Jaafar.

She also said those who engage in character assassination will not prosper. (Carla N. Canet)