LAWMAKERS on Tuesday are singing different tunes on the commitment of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to champion a measure legalizing same-sex union in predominantly Catholic Philippines, where nearly 90 percent of its 102-million population are Christians.
Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco thumbed down the idea that there must be a legislation to that effect even if he supported upholding the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
He said Congress should focus on legislating measures that would uplift the lives of the Filipino people, especially the poor.
“I do not think a law for same sex marriage is timely. We have to prioritize bills that will uplift the lives of the poor or ease their burden. An example is the bill I proposed exempting from income tax those earning P30,000 monthly and below, and lower the income tax brackets even for the middle class,” said Tiangco.
Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte himself said Congress must open the debates on the controversial proposal allowing divorce in the country, instead of the same-sex union.
“I think we should first open the debate on divorce before we tackle the proposal on same sex marriage. There have been proposals advocating divorce in the country and some sectors are pushing for its passage,” said Villafuerte.
Divorce is not practiced in the Christian areas of this country, which received the Catholic faith in 1521, but is practiced in the Muslim areas in Mindanao, where Islam was established in 1380.
Villafuerte said the bill on same sex union was “controversial” that it has to go through extensive consultations, especially among the “conservative sector” such as Congress which is a male-dominated government institution.
For her part, House Deputy Speaker and Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano backed Alvarez’s position to allow same-sex marriage in the country.
“I welcome this initiative because it will pave the way for healthy discussions on these issues that affect the lives of millions of our kababayans in the LGBT community,” Cayetano said.
“…the time has come that we should be able to set aside our biases, our discomfort, because as legislators, we should be able to talk about this issue whenever it affects the lives of our kababayans. And so I look forward to this measure that will be filed by the Speaker of the House,” said Cayetano, a former senator.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, reacting to the same sex marriage proposal, used a cliché, saying “we will cross the bridge when we come to it.”
Lagman said putting the proposal on same sex union on the legislative is a matter of “prioritization.”
“Those filed first and refiled must be prioritized,” Lagman said. “There is no bill yet on same sex marriage .”