House Speaker Alvarez Wants to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage in Philippines

During a press conference, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said that he will file a bill to legalize the union of same-sex couples in our country. He revealed that the members of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders (LGBT) community deserve happiness and we must not prohibit it from them. Alvarez even compared it to the 1987 Constitution’s Preamble that states we all must respect the value of every person.

He is also seeking support from the other lawmakers who wanted to co-sponsor for his draft bill. The house speaker from Davao del Norte is also hopeful that his proposed law will passed at the 17th Congress. The Catholic Church has a freedom to oppose from this bill just like how they were against the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill but according to Alvarez, the proposed bill will only civilize the union of same sex couples and a formal law at the Civil Code of the country. Aside from this, it will also protect the rights of the members of LGBT Community who are still suffering discrimination from the society.

House Minority members have mixed opinions on the bill that Alvarez is pushing through. Taguig Representative Pia Cayetano appreciated the house speaker’s concern for the LGBT as it will open discussions for their rights.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte that he wants to study it first but suggested that other topics like divorce bill must consider first. He also divulged that many of his colleagues were oppose to it like Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco and Quezon City Representative Bingbong Crisologo . Tiangco said that his friends from LGBT were not uproar for the legalization of same sex marriage and for his opinion; marriage is only for man and a woman. Crisologo agreed to this while saying that the Bible restrains the marriage of same sex couples so, he will not support it.