LGBTQ community and advocates gather at the Supreme court as the high tribunal hold its oral arguments on the petition for marriage equality. INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Days before the annual pride march, a gay rights advocate and the government is聽set to face off at the Supreme Court (SC) over the bid to legalize same-sex聽marriage in the Philippines.
The SC鈥檚 oral arguments could not have been more timely as it was聽scheduled to be heard in June, which is celebrated annually as Pride聽Month by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities聽across the world.
Pride month is celebrated in honor of the June 1969 Stonewall riots聽in the United States when members of the LGBT community staged violent聽demonstrations in Manhattan, New York City, against constant police聽harassment and social discrimination.
In 2015, amid growing clamor to recognize the right of same-sex couples聽to civil marriage all over the world, lawyer Jesus Nicardo Falcis III, who聽identifies as 鈥渙penly鈥� gay, filed a petition before the SC seeking to legalize聽gay marriage in the Philippines.
搁贰础顿:听SC asked to allow same-sex marriage
Falcis said it was high time for the SC to act on the matter 鈥渂ecause of the聽millions of LGBT Filipinos all over the country who are deprived from marrying聽the one they want or the one they love.鈥�
In June 2015, the US Supreme Court declared that same-sex marriage was a聽right to be enjoyed by all Americans. Days after the US high court鈥檚 decision, Falcis filed a petition before the Philippine Supreme Court hoping it will take its cue from the US high court.
搁贰础顿:听SC sets oral argument on same-sex marriage
Three years after Falcis filed the petition, in March 2018, the SC announced聽that it would hear on June 19, Tuesday, the oral arguments on the bid to聽scrap the prohibition of same-sex marriages.
Falcis is set to argue that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is聽tantamount to deprivation of life and liberty without due process of law,聽among other arguments.
Named as respondent in Falcis鈥� petition is the Civil Registrar General.聽Petitioners-in-intervention are LGBTS Christian Church Inc., Reverend聽Crescencio 鈥淐eejay鈥� Agbayani Jr., Marlon Felipe and Maria Arlyn 鈥淪ugar鈥澛營banez, while lawyer Fernando Perito is the intervenor.
The oral arguments were set by the SC en banc at 2 p.m. At the same time,聽LGBT groups and supporters will converge outside the high court for a rally in聽support of same-sex marriage.
鈥淒uring the rally, we will be singing songs and chanting slogans that celebrate聽our being a family. We will hold a mass renewal or taking of vows for LGBT聽couples that will be attending, especially those of you that have already聽undergone Holy Union. Afterwards, we will hold candle lighting and a vigil,鈥澛爐he LGBTS Christian Church Inc. said in a statement. /cbb