DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said he is supporting same sex marriage in the country, adding that the law governing marriage can be amended.
During the 7th LGBT Davao Year-end Gathering at the Azuela Cove here Sunday, December 17, Duterte was applauded after saying he wants same sex marriage and the government can change the law.
“Ako gusto ko same sex marriage (I want same-sex marriage). Ang problema (the problem is) we’ll have to change the law. But we can change the law,” Duterte said referring to the Family Code which provides for the marriage of a man and a woman.
“I don’t have any problems making it marrying a man, marrying a woman or whatever is the predilection of the human being,” Duterte added.
Change of tune
In March this year, Duterte in a speech before the Filipino community in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, said same sex marriage cannot work for the Philippines where majority are Catholics and where “there is the Civil Code, which says that you can only marry a woman for me… for a woman to marry a man.”
“Yun ang kultura nila. Eh di kayo lang, hindi ‘yan pwede sa amin. Katoliko kami… (That’s their culture. It does not apply to us. We are Catholics…),” he said previously.
Before the Presidential elections last year, Duterte said he was would consider legalizing same-sex marriage.
LGBT commission?
Duterte on Sunday added he wants the LGBT community to nominate a representative from their sector for a new commission which the government is yet to set up.
“So yang Commission na ‘yan, bubuuin ko pa (I have yet to set up that Commission),” he said, after he mentioned about the incident where he fired commissioners of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP).
“I’d like a gay there somewhere or a lesbian. And mag-usap kayong lahat all over the Philippines ‘yung… You nominate somebody who is honest, hardworking. And I would like to show that any, any ma-bakla man o ma-tomboy can — well, can always work just like an ordinary human being (And you talk among yourselves all over the Philippines. And I would like to show that any, whether he is a gay or a lesbian, well, can alway work just like an ordinary human being),” Duterte said.
He said he will give the LGBT sector until the second week of January next year to nominate their representative. (davaotoday.com)