Hontiveros: Want amendments to SOGIESC bill? Game!

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday prodded the Senate to act on the proposed SOGIESC Equality Act so they could start discussions on possible amendments to the measure.

Even during the past Congress, Hontiveros said she had already told her colleagues that advocates of the measure are open to amendments.

“Kaya nga i-report out na sa plenaryo para ‘pag natapos na ‘yung period of interpellation, pwede na kaming dumako sa period of amendments kung saan gagawin ko on record ‘yung marami-raming mga amyenda na handa nang gawin ng community kaugnay sa academic freedom, parental authority, at ilan pa…” she said in at the Kapihan sa Senado on Wednesday.

(That’s why we need to report it out to the plenary so that once the period of interpellation is finished, we can proceed to the period of amendments where I will put on record the numerous amendments that the community is prepared to make regarding academic freedom, parental authority, and several others.)

“So kung amyenda lang ang gusto ng mga kasama, game! Paabutin na natin sa period of amendments,” the senator said.

(So if it’s just amendments that my colleagues want, then let’s go for it! Let’s bring it to the period of amendments.)

The SOGIESC or the sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics bill was already approved by the Senate committees on women and finance in December 2022, but it remains pending at the committee on rules.

READ: Senate chief: Anti-discrimination bill has ‘better chance’ than SOGIESC 

According to Senate President Francis Escudero, the anti-discrimination bill would have a better chance of getting the approval of the chamber than the SOGIESC bill.

“Unless the proponents of the SOGIE bill accede to some amendments, it will continue to face rough sailing in the Senate,” Escudero said in a statement on Monday.

But Hontiveros said she had already spoken with Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, who concurrently heads the rules committee.

She hopes the new Senate leadership will review the status of the bill.

After all, Hontiveros pointed out that a committee report on the bill was signed by 18 senators.

READ: ‘It’s already 2022:’ Senate panel approves SOGIESC equality bill

“Three-fourths ng mga miyembro ng Senado ay nakapirma, so patunay na hindi iyan divisive o pampagulo lang,” she said.

(Three-fourths of the members of the Senate have signed it, which proves that it’s not divisive or just disruptive.)

“’Yan po ay nakabuo ng three-fourths unity ng Senado at ‘yan po ay magdadala, magbibigay daan sa kapanatagan ng loob sa marami-raming mga couples at pamilya,” the senator added.

(It has secured the three-fourths unity within the Senate, and that will pave the way for peace of mind for many couples and families.)

NOTE: The English translations in the article were AI-generated.