TO give “happiness and dignity” to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez on Monday said he would file a bill allowing same-sex marriage in the country.
In a news conference, Alvarez said his staff is now drafting the bill legalizing same-sex union.
“I will sponsor it. The Constitution provides guaranteeing happiness of Filipinos, so why do we prevent them from being happy?” Alvarez said
Under the 1987 Constitution, the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.
However, the Family Code of the Philippines said marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with the law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.
It also said marriage is the foundation of the family and an inviolable social institution whose nature, consequences and incidents are governed by law and not subject to stipulation, except that marriage settlements may fix the property relations during the marriage within the limits provided by the Family Code.
Alvarez, however, said his proposal only covers civil union.
“We are a democratic country and the beauty of democracy is we can argue and disagree but at the end of the day, it is the majority that prevails,” the House Speaker said.
“My proposal is about civil union. The Catholic Church is free to oppose it. This will cover the civil law and provision on properties [or conjugal ownership],” Alvarez said.
Asked why he is pushing the same-sex union, Alvarez said, “Due to the rising number of LGBT individuals, there’s a need to protect them.”
For their part, Senior Deputy Minority Leader Lito L. Atienza of Buhay and National Unity Party and Deputy Rep. Fredenil H. Castro of Capiz said the Philippine law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
“We are very much bothered by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s statement that he would sponsor a bill that would seek the legalization of same-sex marriage,” Atienza said.
“Marriage, as defined by law, is a union between a man and a woman. We are ready to defend the rights of anyone, especially those in the LGBT community. But marriage should exclusively be, as intended by nature, for a man and a woman. I am quite disappointed that the Speaker would make such a commitment. We thought all along that his priority is federalism and not same-sex marriage,” he added.
Atienza said he hopes that Alvarez will change his mind.
Mr.Speaker Alvarez,I beg you to cancel your same-gender marriage proposal since your proposal is a violation of the Sacrament of Matrimony,utterly abominable than Sodom and Gomorrah and a transgression of the natural law.
dapat lang po yan House Speaker Alvarez,dapat wag na itong hadlangan ng simbahan.lumalaki na ang populasyon ng LGBT.
ikaw na po talaga ang tunay na mabuti Speaker Alvarez ikaw ang tunay na nakakaintindi ng damdamin ng LGBT.
laban lang House Speaker Alvarez para sa ikakabuti ng LGBT,dapat na din itong suportahan ng simbahan.
kung para ito sa kaayusan ng LGBT malaki ang tiwala ko sayo Speaker Alvarez.
madami po kami na sumusuporta saiyo Speaker Alvarez ikaw po ang tunay na nagpapahalaga sa LGBT.
gumising na tayo sa katotohanan na lumalaki na ang populasyon ng LGBT at wag maging mapang husga.salamat sayo speaker Alvarez.hindi man ako kabilang skanila pero alam ko ang karapatan nila bilang tao.
laban lang po Speaker Alvarez ikaw ang tunay na mabuti salamat po sa suporta mo sa LGBT.
yan si Speaker Alvarez tunay na mabuti at tunay na sumusuporta sa LGBT.
ikaw po ang tunay na mabuti Speaker Alvarez binibigyan mo po ng respeto ang LGBT salamt po sa pagtatanggol mo saknila.
Ayos to si House Speaker Alvarez!!!! Tama lang na bigyan rin natin ng mga karapatan ang mga LGBT sa legal marriage.
Tama! Dapat lang na bigyan nang legalidad ang pagsasama ng mga nasa LGBT community. Like Like ko to si COng Alvarez!
salamat sayo speaker sa pag bukas sa isyu na yan okay na okay po kami dyan sa panukala nyo para sa LGBT community supportahan nang lubos natin to
Buti pa si Cong Alvarez nauunawaan nya ang mga nagmamahalan na magkaparehong kasarian! Aang mahalaga kasi nagmamahalan sila kaya dapat bigyan din sila ng ligal karapatan.
ayos to ah. wala na dapat na pangdidiskrimina sa mga LGBT! Panahon na para magkaroon tayo ng batas para sa mga lgbt! ayos to house speaker
I’m sure maraming matutuwa na mga lgbt kay house speaker! Infairness, tama naman si cong alvarez na kailangan ng mga lgbt ng ganitong batas para magkaroon ng dignidad silang mga nasa hanay ng lgbt
dapat may puso rin ang mga negative dyan sa usapang ito,.. nagmamahal din kayo,. alam nyo yan,… na sa panahon na tayo ng pagbabago bakit hindi pa natin buksan ito para maging malaya at masaya ang mga LGBT community,.
speaker alvarez kayo ang ehemplo ng may mga malalawak na kaisipan para sa mga LGBT community,. maging bukas lang tayo para sa ikauunlad at ikakasasaya ng iba,..
sa ikabubuti ng lahat magkaisa nalang sa house para sa usapin na to
subukan muna natin pagusapan para maintindihan ito,. pero sa palagay ko wala naman mawala sa atin kung ipatupad yan nasa tao nalang yan kung sino ang gusto nila makasama sa habangbuhay