PH not yet ready for same-sex marriage — Palace
Malacañang on Thursday said the Philippines is not yet ready for same-sex marriage even as the Supreme Court has already begun holding oral arguments for a petition to legalize it in the country.
In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, “There is a right time for these kind of issues. I believe that the Supreme Court and the country are not yet ready for same sex marriage.”
Roque commented that same-sex marriage may still be “too revolutionary” for the Philippines.
On Tuesday, the SC started holding oral arguments over a bid to legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
READ: As Pride Month kicks off, SC debates gay marriage
On Wednesday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed hope that the SC would favor legalizing same-sex marriage.
The group said granting the petition for same-sex marriage would allow the Philippines to have equal marriage laws.
READ: Human Rights Watch hopes SC will approve of same-sex marriage in PH
However, Roque said HRW is “detached from what’s happening in the Philippine Supreme Court.”
“Dahil ang tingin ko po yung mga deklarasyon ng mga justices, eh parang mahirap na mailusot itong kasong ito,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he was open to changing the law to allow same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
READ: Duterte favors same-sex marriage
In constrast, the Catholic Church and other Christian churches remain opposed to legalizing same-sex unions. /vvp
