SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday called for the passage of the controversial bill seeking to legalize same-sex unions, saying he himself would sponsor it to ensure its immediate passage.
He told reporters his office was now preparing a copy of the draft measure which, he said, would give “happiness and dignity” to the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
“I will sponsor it. If you will look at the Constitution, it contains a provision guaranteeing happiness of the Filipino people,” Alvarez said. “Why do we have to deprive them of such? I, for one, am one with the LGBT community. If that will make them happy, why don’t we just support them?”
Alvarez made his statement even as Pope Francis said teaching children gender theory in schools was an “insidious indoctrination,” even as he insisted he had always treated homosexuals and transsexuals with respect.
“It is one thing to have homosexual tendencies or a sex change,” the pope said in comments to journalists made on board the papal plane on Sunday after he wrapped up a three-day tour in the Caucasus and headed home to Rome.
“But it is another thing to teach it in schools.”
Alvarez said his proposal only covered civil union, and it was up to the Catholic Church to oppose it.
”The beauty of democracy is we can argue and disagree but at the end of the day, it is the majority that prevails,” Alvarez said.
“My proposal is about civil union. If the Church objects to it, then we have no problem with that.
Rep. Lito Atienza said he was bothered by Alvarez’s statement.
“Marriage, as defined by law, is a union between a man and a woman,” he said in a statement.
“We are ready to defend the rights of anyone, especially those in the LGBT community. But marriage should exclusively be for a man and a woman.”
Atienza said he was disappointed that Alvarez would support same-sex unions.
“We hope he will change his mind,” he said.
Alvarez said it was his advocacy to uphold the rights of the LGBT community.
“It was my own idea and there was no lobby group behind this effort. [My intention in sponsoring the measure] is to address the increasing number of LGBT members, so we need to protect them,” Alvarez said.
He said his proposal would be treated like an ordinary bill, and that the House would keep its focus on passing the priority measures of the Duterte administration.
“As I have said, anybody can question it, and at the end of the day we will put it to a debate,” Alvarez said.
“I really just want to uphold and protect the rights of the LGBT community.”