Human Rights Watch hopes SC will approve of same-sex marriage in PH
New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) hopes the Supreme Court (SC) will vote in favor of same-sex marriage in the country.
The HRW said on Wednesday that granting the petition filed by lawyer Jesus Nicardo Falcis III would result in the Philippines having equal marriage laws.
“If the Supreme Court rules that the provisions of the Family Code are unconstitutional and permits same-sex marriage, or the national legislature enacts a law allowing same-sex marriage, the Philippines will join Taiwan at the forefront of Asian countries with marriage equality,” HRW said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the SC had its first oral argument on the petition filed by Falcis on same-sex marriage.
Falcis filed the petition with the High Court in 2015. In 2016, the Court ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to file its comment. After three years, the Court held its oral argument.
According to Falcis, “nothing in Article XV or other provisions of the Constitution limits the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.”
“But something in the Constitution commands that marriage under the Family Code be extended to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) couples,” he stressed.
READ: ‘1987 Constitution does not limit marriage to opposite-sex couples’ — Falcis
The HRW also cited House Bill 6595 which was filed Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in 2017 as part of its argument for supporting same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
“The bill, HB 6595, would grant same-sex couples “all benefits and protections as are granted to spouses in a marriage,” including the ability to jointly adopt, inherit property, obtain tax benefits, and share insurance, health, and pension benefits.
It then urged the Senate body “to proactively protect the rights of LGBT Filipinos” as the country waits for the decision of the SC regarding the topic of same-sex marriage. /muf
