Senate
bets oppose same-sex unions, LGBT discrimination
Despite his opposition to same-sex marriage, Gatchalian,
who is running under the ticket of Sen. Grace Poe, said Filipinos should
respect the opinion and beliefs of each other on the controversial issue.
“I don’t agree with same-sex marriage but I also don’t
agree with discrimination. In fact we really have to put a lot of mechanism and
laws to eliminate discrimination in this country. Tayong lahat ay galing sa
iba’t ibang pananaw, iba’t ibang paniniwala. Dapat igalang natin ang isa’t isa,
bigyan natin ng respeto kahit na iba ‘yung ating paniniwala sa kasarian,”
Gatchalian said.
Tolentino, former chair of the Metro Manila Development
Authority, echoed Gatchalian’s call for respect but also maintained his
opposition against same-sex unions.
“Igalang natin ‘yung karapatan ng mga nagsasama. Igalang
po natin kung ano ‘yung kanilang paniniwalaan. Pero to institutionalize
same-sex marriage, hindi po ako pabor doon. Irespeto, bigyang galang, at huwag
po nating bigyan ng diskriminasyon, ‘yun po ‘yung essence ng sinasabi ko,”
Tolentino said.
Belgica, meanwhile, emphasized that same-sex marriage is
a sin against the teachings of God on family and procreation.
“Ang kasal po isang banal na pagsasama ng babae’t lalaki.
Banal. Nanggaling sa banal na kasulatan, itinuro ng Diyos. ‘Yung gustong
mag-asawa, lalaki’t babae, dahil gusto ng Diyos lumawak ang pamilya, tumibay
ang pamilya, dumami ang tao,” Belgica said.
“‘Yung mga gustong magsama na LGBT, bahala sila sa buhay
nila. Pero para irequire pa kami na ikasal sila, eh sobra na pong kasalanan
nun. Ang sabi sa banal na kasulatan, mahal sila ng Diyos, at ‘pag nagsisi sila
patatawarin sila ng Diyos,” he added.
Kapunan, a high-profile lawyer, said she was not in favor
of a church wedding for same-sex couples, but said she was for the passage of a
law that would give them civil rights such as the right to adopt children.
“We must recognize the legal consequences of a domestic
partnership, the legal consequences of same-gender relationships. Immediately,
I am for the passage of a non-discrimination law which will recognize the right
of same-sex partners to adopt, to have co-owned properties, to have joint bank
accounts. But ‘yung marriage before the church ibang usapan ‘yan kasi
separation of church and state ‘yan,” she said.
Reaction:
In this day and age all of us know what is LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender), and we all so know that in this past few years, there are lots of social issue in our country and also in some parts of the world about LGBT, like discrimination, racism, same-sex marriage, and etc. We all know that the church and the government have different or opposite perception about LGBT and same-sex marriage. In this article “Senate bets oppose same-sex unions, LGBT discrimination”, that is publish at INQUIRER.net, it says that Win Gatchalian, Francis Tolentino, Greco Belgica and Lorna Kapunan which a high profile lawyer, opposed about same- sex union or marriage. The primary target of this article is to help us know why this people opposed about same-sex marriage.
So, according to the article, Gatchalian says that he does not agree with same - sex
marriage, but he also does not agree with discrimination. In fact he said they have really
to put a lot of mechanisms and laws to eliminate discrimination in our country, and we all
Filipinos come from different perspectives, different beliefs that we must respect each other,
and let us respect those people who have belief in gender. For me those lines captured my
heart but except to that he doesn’t agree with same-sex marriage, because he is right that we
Filipinos should respect one another, even though each of us came from different
perspectives, and beliefs. And I also agree to what Francis Tolentino said, even if he doesn’t
agree with same-sex marriage like Gatchalian, but he said “ Respect , give respect , and
certainly not to give discrimination”, like what Gatchalian says.
On the other hand, Belgica made an emphasis that same-sex marriage is a sin against
the teachings of God on family and procreation. In this line, we all know that church is against
to same-sex marriage, because according to the bible it says that the image of God is both
male and female and is reflected in a godly union between male and female where the
creative power of God, His life-giving, His self-giving and His moral nature are perfectly
expressed. This is only possible in a heterosexual union or in female and male union or
marriage.
Kapunan, which a
high-profile lawyer, was not also in favour of a church wedding for same-sex
couples, but said she that for the passage of the law that would give them civil rights such as
the right to adopt children. She also added that the marriage before the church
is a different matter because of the separated views of the church and that
law. For me in this line, I can conclude that every people have a right and freedom
according to the law, and government have a different perception against the
church.
In
conclusion, I can say that each of us have a different perspective in life that
we people should respect it, like what Gatchalian and Tolentino ,even though
they are not agree with the same-sex marriage but they point that we should
respect them even if they are different from what we are use to, while in the
case of Belgica and Kapunan the reason why they don’t agree with same-sex
marriage is because of the perception of the church and the government and the
church have an opposite vision on same sex-marriage.