SOGIE BILL TO FACE ROUGH SAILING IN THE SENATE - ESCUDERO

In celebration of Pride Month this June, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) called on to the Congress to pass the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (Sogiesc) equality bill. It is said that it is time to enact this to ensure that the rights of all individuals are respected, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender.

Passing the SOGIE bill in the Senate faces difficulty with its amendments (Photo courtesy of Rappler)

According to Senator Risa Hontiveros who is promoting the SOGIE bill in the Senate, nineteen senators signed the committee report of the bill. This is a proof that the majority of legislators have accepted the SOGIE bill.

“That should speak to its acceptability across the aisle. I have asked the majority leader to look into the committee report, which has remained pending in the Committee on Rules, and he has promised to do so. I hope the new leadership of the Senate will stand up for our LGBTQIA+ community this Pride Month and also in their daily lives as people,” Hontiveros said.

According to Senate President Chiz Escudero, the SOGIE Bill needs to be amended before it passes the Senate. Escudero himself said that the law will have difficulty getting through the Senate. It is said that the Anti-discrimination bill has a higher chance of passing than this because the scope of its sector is said to be wider.

“It was related to the interference of other people’s opinion that is contrary to the opinion of others that should also be respected. As far as I know, some of our colleagues had objections about (the SOGIE bill) before. It will continue to be difficult to get through the Senate,” Escudero stated.

UNFPA Philippines Country Representative Leila Joudane stated, "For the United Nations Population Fund, Pride Month is a call to action. It's a time to amplify our commitment to ensuring that every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is entitled to their human rights, including access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services without discrimination."

Right now, it is only at Committee level in the chamber, while in the Senate it has not been debated in plenary and referred to the committee on rules for further study.

Source: The Manila Times

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