SEN. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino has filed a measure that seeks to simplify annulment procedures by recognizing an annulment of marriage by any church or religious sect upon order of a competent court.

Senate Bill 1815 aims to recognize the annulment of marriage by a religious sect by amending Article 36 of Executive Order 209 or the Family Code of the Philippines. Aquino’s bill is similar to the measure filed by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri in March that proposes to recognize church annulments to have “the same effect as an annulment declared by a competent court.”