by Dr. Nicole Curato
In the Harapan 2013: The Senatorial Debate held last 21 April 2013, Congressman Teddy Casiño expressed opposition to divorce; claiming instead that he authored a bill providing revisions for annulment to make it more accessible to ordinary citizens.
Research reveals that Casiño’s stand on the issue of divorce has shifted. In several interviews, Casiño did not explicitly support either side, proposing that matters on divorce can be talked about. On the other hand, a survey conducted by CBCP-NASSA identified Casiño as supportive of divorce. He was also a co-author of House Bill 1799, otherwise known as the divorce bill. Under the Makabayan coalition, Casiño, along with the principal author and Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan, filed the divorce bill.
UP’s earlier Fact Check on Casiño has described the Makabayan senatorial candidate’s legislative record as “consistent” in filing bills that benefit the underprivileged sectors of society. It appears, however, that Casiño’s consistency has limits.
Nicole Curato is a sociologist. She currently holds the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Research Award at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy & Global Governance in Canberra.
