Gays pursue party-list fight in Supreme Court

MANILA, Philippines – Gay party-list group Ang Ladlad is still intent on asking the Supreme Court (SC) to review the case for their party-list accreditation.

On Monday, Ang Ladlad was set to file a petition for certiorari, essentially asking the SC to review the decision of the Commission Elections (Comelec) to reject Ang Ladlad’s petition for party-list accreditation last year.

Ang Ladlad claims to represent gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) communities in the Philippines.

In their petition for certiorari, a copy of which was sent to abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak, Ang Ladlad said the resolutions “demonize the LGBT community by accusing them of indulging in imaginary acts of immorality that the Comelec deem as a ‘threat to the youth.'”

In the same document, the group said the Comelec’s presiding Commissioner said at a press briefing that “there is no distinction between [homosexuals and heterosexuals]…since the bottom line is that they are still males and females” and that the marginalization of LGBTs does not exist.

The group’s national chairperson, Danton Remoto, said the group chose to wait until after the holidays to file their case before the SC.

“Pinalipas ko lang muna ang Pasko, kasi tinuruan ako ng parents ko na give love on Christmas,” he told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

(I chose to let Christmas pass first [before filing the petition against the Comelec] because my parents taught me to give love on Christmas.)

Blocked at every point?

The group had filed a motion for consideration before the Comelec, which the poll body rejected in a ruling dated November 11.

Following a motion of consideration and motion to admit filed by Ang Ladlad, the Comelec released another decision on December 16 last year, denying reconsideration for their November ruling.

Since the Comelec decision was final, Ang Ladlad’s only legal recourse was through the SC. Ang Ladlad reportedly has until February 17 this year to file a counter petition.

The Comelec had rejected the group’s petition for party-list accreditation, saying that it was “dismissible on moral grounds.”

The poll body said that, based on Bible and Koran teachings, homosexuality is allegedly immoral. The Comelec’s en banc decision also stated that homosexuals posed a threat to Filipino youth.

Ang Ladlad slammed the decision, saying that it constituted a violation of their human rights.

In 2006, Ang Ladlad had also sought party-list accreditation but was rejected due to the lack of sufficient membership nationwide.

Remoto, an English professor at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University and a former officer of the United Nations Development Programme, had also announced his bid to run for Senator in the 2010 national elections.

His bid was rejected by the Comelec. The poll body said Remoto reportedly had no capacity to run a national election campaign. Report from Timi Nubla, ABS-CBN News. With reports from abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak. –abs-cbnNEWS.com