Bishop hits ruling allowing ‘Ang Ladlad’ to participate in polls

A Catholic bishop condemned the Supreme Court’s decision allowing rights group to participate in the party-list elections in May. Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez said on Saturday allowing a party-list group for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) in Congress is pushing for “abnormality." “We recognize them, respect them, but their situation is an abnormality. The person is approving and encouraging an abnormality, which is unnatural," Iniguez said in an article posted on the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). On Thursday, the SC said Ang Ladlad partylist can participate in the elections, and ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to accredit the group immediately. The SC said that homosexuals “have borne the brunt of societal disapproval," and cited religious beliefs, convictions about the preservation of marriage, family, and procreation, and dislike or distrust of homosexuals and their perceived lifestyle as the reasons for this. In 2009, the Comelec junked Ang Ladlad’s petition ‘with finality,’ citing moral grounds. Also in 2006, the poll body rejected the party on the ground that it did not represent a marginalized and underprivileged sector of society and its lack of substantial membership base. On the other hand, Ateneo de Manila University Professor and Ang Ladlad chairman Danton Remoto said they would advocate “equal rights and not special rights" in the workplace and in schools to remove discrimination against homosexuals. He added same-sex marriage was not on their agenda, adding that it would prosper in the Philippines anyway. ‘Ang Ladlad,’ which roughly means disclosure of one's true self, has over 22,000 registered members nationwide. In its website, the group said its platform included support for the Anti-Discrimination bill, which gives LGBTs equal employment rights and criminalizes discrimination against them. The group also seeks to build micro-finance businesses for members of the LGBT sector. — with Nikka Corsino/LBG, GMANews.TV