MANILA, Philippines ? It takes an observant eye to know one.

And Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Nicodemus Ferrer must possess this that made him say that gays and lesbians are well-represented in the House of Representatives, the Senate, the military, and the religious, said Speaker Prospero Nograles.

"Maybe he has a very observant eye for these things? Maybe experience? Your guess is as good as mine," Nograles said when asked what he thought made Ferrer make that kind of statement.

In defending the Comelec's decision to reject the accreditation of Ang Ladlad, a group of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals, as a partylist organization, Ferrer said there was no more need for such a group since they were already over-represented in Congress.

Although Nograles said it jokingly, he said "they were already there ? either those who open their closet or those who keep on closing their closet."

Nograles laughed off the remarks.

"That's quite very interesting observation and kind of funny because as Speaker, I have such a hard time figuring out who is what and what is who, and why is who a what or why is what a who," he said in a text message when asked to react.

Asked if Ferrer's observation was a valid ground not to accredit Ang Ladlad, Nograles said the decision was up to the poll body.

"It's the constitutional office that determines for itself the who, the what, the how, and the when as far as conduct and qualifications of candidates and accreditation of parties are concerned," he said.

The House leader added that the party could resort to legal remedy, by appealing to the Supreme Court.