Over 50 gay rights advocates mounted the 8th Baguio Pride Parade along downtown Baguio. FILE PHOTO/VINCENT CABREZA/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Some party-list lawmakers on Monday joined the fray in opposing the proposal of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to legalize civil union of same-sex couples.
During the Ugnayan sa Batasan press briefing on Monday, Buhay Rep. Michael Velarde said marriage is a religious rite for the union of men and women, not of the same gender.
搁贰础顿:听Solons oppose Alvarez鈥� same-sex union proposal
Velarde, the son of El Shaddai founder Mike Velarde, said he is open to finding a middle ground, although he did not clarify what this meant.
He said same-sex couples are already allowed to have property rights in the current legal system.
鈥淚f you were looking for something na mag-o-overstep sa karapatan ng ibang tao, hindi ba mali din 鈥榶un. Hindi basta-basta isang bagay gawin natin, hindi natin pagiisipan ang ibang resulta,鈥� Velarde said.
搁贰础顿:听Minority solons oppose same-sex union: It鈥檚 unnatural, unsightly
鈥淲e all have rights, all institutions have rights. All people have rights. So we have to find the middle ground鈥� If you鈥檙e looking for legal unity, I think that鈥檚 an ideal we can look into. But marriage is a very sensitive topic, because it has always been part of religion, the marriage between man and woman,鈥� Velarde added.
Aangat Tayo Rep. Harlin Abayon III said same-sex couples may already avail of property rights by entering into co-ownership or partnership agreements.
鈥淲e have laws on co-ownership, partnership and succession. Covered din naman 鈥榶un, they can always avail of that already,鈥� he said.
ACTS OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz added that same-sex couples may avail of their legal rights on conjugal property without violating the law of God in the marriage between man and woman.
鈥溾�橸ung batas, pwede mong baguhin, 鈥榶ung Constitution, pwede mong baguhin; pero 鈥榶ung law of nature and law of God, hindi pwedeng balihin. I personally stand on the basis na hindi pwedeng mabali 鈥榶ung divine law and sanctity of marriage,鈥� Bertiz said.
鈥淧wede nating i-legal, they can enter into agreement or contract or make something like conjugal. Pero using the ceremony and the word marriage, I don鈥檛 agree on that,鈥� he added.
COOP NATCCO Rep. Anthony Bravo said marriage should only be for the purpose of creating a family.
鈥淲hen you speak of marriage, it鈥檚 really a bond of creating a family. Iisa ang aming posisyon: we are no for same-sex marriage,鈥� Bravo said, noting though that he respects same-sex couples鈥� decisions to enter into legal partnership.
READ:聽Alvarez to file bill on聽same-sex聽union
The party-list lawmakers joined the brewing opposition in Congress against the measure, even if it was supported by Speaker Alvarez.
Earlier, Speaker Alvarez said he would sponsor the bill allowing聽same-sex聽union, adding that it鈥檚 about time to respect the constitutional rights of the LGBT community to be happy.
鈥淭ingnan mo 鈥榶ung Constitution natin. May provisions dun guaranteeing happiness sa mga Pilipino. Eh bakit naman ipagkait natin 鈥榶un? Sa akin naman, ako鈥檡 nakikisa dun sa ating mga kapatid na LGBT. Kung happy sila dun, bakit hindi natin suportahan?鈥� Alvarez had said.
Alvarez said he would seek to amend the Family Code, which limits union between man and woman.
But he clarified that his proposal would legalize聽same-sex聽union, noting that聽marriage聽should be left to the mandate of the Catholic Church.
In the 16th Congress, then Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said it would be impossible for Congress to legalize聽same-sex聽marriage聽in the country with its deep Catholic roots.
搁贰础顿:听Belmonte:聽Same-sex聽marriage聽law in PH 鈥榠mpossible鈥�听触听Solon bats for bill onsame-sex聽marriage
In 2015, openly gay lawyer Jesus Falcis III asked the Supreme Court to abolish the prohibition on聽same-sex聽marriage聽in the Family Code.
The Office of the Solicitor General under the previous administration of President Benigno Aquino III opposed the petition and dismissed it as 鈥渋ntrinsically flawed.鈥�
Falcis asked the Supreme Court to nullify Articles 1 and 2 of the Family Code, and Articles 46 (4) and 55 (6) of the聽same聽law. Articles 1 and 2 limit聽marriage聽between man and woman; Articles 46(4) and 55 (6) cited homosexuality as grounds for annulment and legal separation. JE/rga
搁贰础顿:听SC asked to allow聽same-sex聽marriage听触听SolGen asks SC to junk 鈥榠ntrinsically flawed鈥櫬爏ame-sex聽marriage聽bid