SC sets 19 August oral arguments on foreign divorce case

Oral arguments are set to be conducted by the Supreme Court (SC) on a petition involving the recognition of foreign divorce.

The Court has scheduled the oral arguments for 19 August 2025 at 2 p.m. in the case G.R. No. 257575, Melvin A. Baluyot v. Ma. Fe C. Antonio-Baluyot. However, a copy of the petition has yet to be posted on the SC website or released to the media.

SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the case presents a novel question involving a Filipino national with dual citizenship who obtained a foreign divorce while abroad, subsequently acquired foreign citizenship through naturalization, and later reacquired Philippine citizenship.

Ting also confirmed that the Court has yet to reschedule oral arguments on the three petitions assailing the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 12116, or the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which has been dubbed as the “most anomalous and most corrupt” budget enacted by Congress.

The first petition was filed by former Malacañang executive secretary lawyer Victor “Vic” Rodriguez and Davao City Third District Rep. Isidro Ungab.

The second petition, filed by 1Sambayan et al., seeks to declare as “partially unconstitutional” the provisions in the 2025 GAA that allot a lower budget allocation for the Department of Education compared to the Department of Public Works and Highways, the zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and the Ayuda sa Kapos at Kita Program (Akap) for allegedly being a congressional “pork barrel.”

The third petition was filed by the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), Freedom From Debt Coalition, and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, which seeks the nullification of the entire 2025 GAA.

“At present, no schedule has been set for the GAA oral arguments,” Ting said.

To recall, the oral arguments on the GAA have been canceled twice by the SC. The high court originally scheduled them for 1 April 2025 at the SC En Banc Session Hall in Baguio City, then moved the date to 19 May 2025.

However, the SC issued a resolution on 6 May 2025 canceling the May 19 oral arguments, stating that the justices resolved to “reset the 19 May 2025 oral arguments to a later date, subject to further notice from the Court.” No reason was given for the absence of a new date.