I'm Meldy, 21 years old, and I want to vent. The situation is a bit difficult for me right now. I'm in a relationship with someone I love, but it's complicated. He's Waldo, and yes, he's my cousin. But before you react, let me explain.
We are not related by blood. Waldo is the son of my uncle's wife's ex-wife. Only my uncle, who is my mother's brother, has a blood connection to me. In other words, we are not directly related by blood. As others have said, there is nothing wrong with us because we are not related by blood.
But here's the problem—my parents don't like our relationship. To them, it's like we're still related because everyone else knows he's my cousin. Everyone around us thinks the same thing: we're cousins so we shouldn't like each other. Because of this, my heart feels like it's divided—I love Waldo, but I'm afraid we might be doing something wrong.
Can we get married just in case? We're not related by blood, but we're still cousins in the eyes of society. Some say there's no problem. But is that true?
I learned that according to the law, cousins up to the fourth degree of relationship are not allowed to marry. This is stated in the Civil Code of the Philippines. Even though we are not directly related by blood, we still fall into the category of cousins so marriage is not allowed.
Now, I'm still confused. I love him, but I don't want to break the law. I don't want to get to the point where we both get hurt because we didn't think the situation through. It's just hard, it's not easy to control your heart when you're in love.
For those like me who are in this situation, my only advice is—think before you make a decision. If in doubt, consult a lawyer to make everything clear. It's hard to love with anxiety and fear. Hopefully, one day, there will be a clear answer on how to deal with this type of relationship.
