ISUSULONG ni presidential frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., ang mas malakas na batas para sa equality at anti-discrimination ng LGBTQIA+ community kung sakaling maluklok bilang pangulo sa halalan sa Mayo 9.
“What we will want to do, walang discrimination, hindi maaring sabihin na hindi ka pwedeng mag trabaho dito dahil gay ka, hindi ka pwedeng mag trabaho dahil ganito ka, dahil trans ka,” ani Marcos sa town hall meeting kamakailan sa Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat.
“Dapat maging matibay na batas yan, at patibayin talaga natin ng husto, and make sure that this discrimination does not happen,” dagdag pa niya.
HInarap ni Marcos ang iba’t ibang sectoral group sa Lambayong bago dumalo sa malaking rally sa Sultan Kudarat na dinaluhan ng mahigit 100, 000 UniTeam supporters.
Sinagot din niya ang tanong kung Pabor siya o hindi sa same sex union.
“Malaki na ang pagbabago ng Roman Catholic Church, dahil nung tinanong si Pope Francis, kung ano kanyang opinion sa same sex union, sang-ayon ako (sasagot niya) , he said it best when he said, who am I to judge?,” ani Marcos.
“Pare-pareho lang naman tayo, kung nagmamahalan yung dalawa, anong gagawin? Hindi naman mag-aasawa ng iba yan, talagang yan yung gusto nila,” aniya pa.
Siniguro naman ni Marcos sa LGBTQIA+ community na agad niyang isusulong at lalagdaan ang anumang batas na pumapabor sa same sex union at the anti-discrimination at equality sa naturang komunidad.
“Dapat it will be up to Congress kung gugustuhin naman ng tao, at congressmen and senators, representatives of their constituencies, ay kung masabihan sila, ito yung gusto natin, at ipasa, gawing batas, ay pipirmahan ko yan. Kung presidente ako, walang problema yan,” giit ni Marcos.
Sa “The Deep Probe: Presidential Candidates Interview,” naman ng SMNI, tinanong din siya ng panelist na si Sass Rogando Sasot sa naturang isyu.
“My question is how will you balance the legitimate aim of protecting the rights and welfare of LGBTQ people while at the same time respecting the legitimate interest of religious groups that they can freely pursue their belief on this matter,” tanong ni Sasot kay Marcos.
“I don’t think LGBTQ issues are polarizing in the Philippines, honestly, I think we are much more open-minded about it considering that we’re in fact a very Roman Catholic country. But then you must, and so, I don’t think it’s polarizing at all, I think Filipinos are, I don’t know how to put it, but we’re much cooler than most other places when it comes to these things,” tugon naman ni Marcos.
“Ang gusto lang ng mga LGBTQ ‘wag lang, do not discriminate against us, ‘yun lang naman ‘yun eh. We don’t want a special program for ourselves, and you do not have to do something, just … patas lang, pare-pareho lang nakahit LGBTQ kami, kahit matanda kami, kahit we come from the wrong place, I don’t know whatever,” dugtong pa niya.
