Following heated debates with CHR, Cayetano bats for fair, extensive Senate discussions on abortion and discrimination

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on early Tuesday called on the Senate to further discuss issues such as abortion and the Anti-Discrimination Bill with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) at the committee level.

This after the heated discussions that arose during the plenary debates of the 2024 budget of the Commission on Human Rights, with the tension stemming from the commissions' inconsistent statements on the issues.

Last week, Cayetano slammed CHR for its vague stance on abortion, saying its statement on decriminalizing abortion is in conflict with the 1987 Constitutional mandate to protect the right to life of the mother and the unborn.

"I'd like to pursue this because I really feel that the Philippines should be the champion of pro-life, not only of the unborn but everything about life," he added, on the issue of abortion.

Then on Tuesday morning, senators called out the CHR regarding one of its officials who singled out Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva over his reluctance on the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill.

"I think this deserves more discussion. In the same way that we said here, dapat 'yong pro SOGIE Bill at pro Anti-Discrimination Bill ay makinig sa atin, we should also listen to those who are saying na may right of choice, et cetera," the independent senator said as he addressed the Senate in the wee hours of November 21, 2023.

Cayetano said Senator Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, already agreed to pursue the talks at the committee level.

Questioning provisions in SOGIE bill does not mean anti-LGBT

In detailing the instance concerning the CHR offical and Senator Villanueva on the Anti-Discrimination Bill, Cayetano referred to a video Villanueva showed the chamber. The video showed Atty. Krissi Shaffina Twyla Rubin, OIC of the Center for Gender Equality & Women's Human Rights, speaking on stage during last June's pride month rally in Quezon City indicating that the commission had a petition for Villanueva on the SOGIE bill.

Rubin said in the video, "Mayroon tayong love letter kay Senator Joel Villanueva. At ang ating panawagan po, dear Senator Villanueva, dear senators natin, lahat po kayo, sana pakinggan niyo ang boses ng ating LGBTQ community at ang ating sigaw, ano pong gusto nating ipasa? SOGIE Equality Bill."

This video did not sit well with the senators, who suspended the Senate rules to clarify with Rubin and CHR officials if this move was sanctioned by the commission itself.

"Is it the position of the commission that if you are against the SOGIE bill, you are anti-LGBT? There's a difference between allowing discrimination against LGBT and the provisions of the SOGIE bill. Magkaiba 'yon," Cayetano told the CHR officials.

"I think everyone in the Senate is against any form of discrimination for the LGBT community, pero hindi ibig sabihin 'pag may objections ka sa certain provision sa SOGIE, you're anti-LGBTQ," he added.

CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc explained that Rubin's actions in the rally was not the official stand of the CHR. However, he said it is the official stand of the commission to advocate for the passage of the SOGIE bill.

Cayetano, however, pointed out that Rubin's action made the CHR biased toward the LGBTQ community and against Villanueva.

"The point is that the commission is now a partisan in hitting the Majority Leader because he has some concerns with some provisions in the SOGIE bill. And because in social media, in [traditional] media, in the public and rallies, pinapalabas na anti-LGBT siya. That's very unfair," he said.

After asking CHR officials to confer and to further clarify this issue to the Senate, Cayetano made the proposal to take it up in the committee hearing to exhaust the matter.

"I respect what you're fighting for. I respect your advocacy but the way you did it as a commission is not acceptable. It's not being done in a civilized way. Even in a rally... If y'un ang stand n'yo, do it in your individual capacity," he said.

"As the CHR, meron kayong duty to do it a certain way, and in a way that promotes better communication with everyone," he added.

Cayetano, nanawagan ng patas at malawakang talakayan ng Senado sa abortion, diskriminasyon matapos ang mainit na pakikipagdebate sa CHR

Nanawagan si Senador Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes sa Senado na talakayin pa sa committee level ang mga isyu tulad ng abortion at Anti-Discrimination Bill kasama ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Ito ay matapos magkaroon ng ilang mainit na mga talakayan sa plenaryo ng 2024 budget ng Commission on Human Rights, kung saan ang tensyon ay nagmumula sa hindi magkatugmang mga pahayag ng mga komisyon sa mga isyu.

Noong nakaraang linggo, binatikos ni Cayetano ang CHR dahil sa malabong paninindigan nito sa abortion, at sinabing ang pahayag nito sa pag-decriminalize ng abortion ay salungat sa mandato ng 1987 Saligang Batas na protektahan ang karapatan sa buhay ng ina at ng hindi pa isinisilang.

"I'd like to pursue this because I really feel that the Philippines should be the champion of pro-life, not only of the unborn but everything about life," dagdag niya sa isyu ng abortion.

Nitong Martes ng umaga, pinagsabihan naman muli ng mga senador ang CHR hinggil sa isa sa mga opisyal nito na nagbukod kay Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva dahil sa kanyang pag-aatubili sa Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill.

"I think this deserves more discussion. In the same way that we said here, dapat 'yong pro SOGIE Bill at pro Anti-Discrimination Bill ay makinig sa atin. We should also listen to those who are saying na may right of choice, et cetera," paliwanag ng independent senator sa Senado madaling araw ng November 21, 2023.

Sinabi ni Cayetano na pumayag na si Senator Francis Tolentino, bilang chairman ng Committee on Justice and Human Rights, na ituloy ang mga pag-uusap sa komite.

Pagtutol sa ilang probisyon ng SOGIE bill ay hindi nangangahulugang anti-LGBT

Sa pagdedetalye ng halimbawa tungkol sa opisyal ng CHR at Senador Villanueva sa Anti-Discrimination Bill, tinukoy ni Cayetano ang isang video na ipinakita ni Villanueva sa kamara. Ipinakita ng video si Atty. Krissi Shaffina Twyla Rubin, OIC ng Center for Gender Equality & Women's Human Rights, na nagsasalita sa entablado sa pride month rally noong Hunyo sa Quezon City na nagsasaad na ang komisyon ay may petisyon para kay Villanueva sa SOGIE bill.

Sabi ni Rubin sa video, "Mayroon tayong love letter kay Senator Joel Villanueva. At ang ating panawagan po, dear Senator Villanueva, dear senators natin, lahat po kayo, sana pakinggan niyo ang boses ng ating LGBTQ community at ang ating sigaw, ano pong gusto nating ipasa? SOGIE Equality bill."

Hindi napalagay ang mga senador sa video na ito kung kaya't sinuspinde nila ang mga panuntunan ng Senado upang linawin kay Rubin at sa mga opisyal ng CHR kung ang hakbang na ito ay pinahintulutan ng mismong komisyon.

"Is it the position of the commission that if you are against the SOGIE Bill, you are anti-LGBT? There's a difference between allowing discrimination against LGBT and the provisions of the SOGIE Bill. Magkaiba 'yon," sabi Cayetano sa mga opisyal ng CHR.

"I think everyone in the Senate is against any form of discrimination for the LGBT community, pero hindi ibig sabihin 'pag may objections ka sa certain provision sa SOGIE, you're anti-LGBT," dagdag niya.

Ipinaliwanag ni CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc na ang mga aksyon ni Rubin sa rally ay hindi opisyal na paninindigan ng CHR. Gayunpaman, sinabi niya na ang opisyal na paninindigan ng komisyon ay isulong ang pagpasa ng SOGIE bill.

Ngunit ipinunto ni Cayetano na dahil sa ginawa ni Rubin, naging biased ang CHR sa LGBTQ community at laban kay Villanueva.

"The point is that the commission is now a partisan in hitting the Majority Leader because he has some concerns with some provisions in the SOGIE bill. And because in social media, in [traditional] media, in the public and rallies, pinapalabas na anti-LGBT siya. That's very unfair," wika niya.

Matapos hilingin sa mga opisyal ng CHR na pag-usapan at linawin pa ang isyung ito sa Senado, inihain ni Cayetano ang panukala na dalhin ito sa pagdinig ng komite para matapos ang usapin.

"I respect what you're fighting for. I respect your advocacy but the way you did it as a commission is not acceptable. It's not being done in a civilized way. Even in a rally... If y'un ang stand n'yo, do it in your individual capacity," aniya.

"But as the CHR, meron kayong duty to do it a certain way and in a way that promotes better communication with everyone," dagdag niya.