The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) issued a position paper that advocated for the legal recognition of LGBTQIA+ relationships.
The CHR position paper supports House Bill (HB) Nos. 1015 and 6782, both seeking to grant both same-sex and opposite-sex couples legal recognition as civil partners, affording them the same rights, protections, and privileges already extended to married couples under existing laws and policies. This includes property rights, adoption and child custody rights, inheritance rights, and access to social protection programs as dependents and legal beneficiaries.
For the CHR, “the right to equality and freedom from discrimination — as enshrined in domestic and international human rights frameworks — must be fully realized by ensuring that all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression (SOGIE), enjoy equal protection under the law.”
It added that by recognizing civil partnerships, the commission “believes that the Philippines takes a significant step toward building a society that values diversity, inclusivity and respect for human rights.”
All the same, the CHR highlighted “some reservations and key areas that warrant further refinement”, including:
- limiting civil partnerships to same-sex couples to avoid redundancy, as opposite-sex couples are already covered under the Family Code;
- provisions granting civil partners equal visitation rights in hospitals and detention facilities, along with decision-making authority for medical and burial matters;
- maintaining co-ownership rules for properties acquired during the partnership;
- clearer definition of infidelity to prevent arbitrary enforcement;
- granting equal adoption rights to civil partners, emphasizing that decisions should prioritize the best interests of the child, regardless of the sexual orientation of the parents, among others.
“These recommendations aim to ensure that the proposed measures uphold the principles of inclusivity, non-discrimination, and human dignity. In this regard, the commission urges lawmakers to carefully consider these recommendations to ensure that these proposed bills, if enacted into law, will be just, inclusive, and reflective of the country’s commitment to protecting the rights of all.”
The Philippines still does not have an anti-discrimination law to protect the human rights of LGBTQIA+ Filipinos, with various versions of the anti-discrimination bill pending in Congress for over 24 years now. CHR similarly backs the passage of this law.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand was the first country to legally recognize LGBTQIA+ relationships. Other Asian countries, like Nepal and Taiwan, also already recognize LGBTQIA+ partnerships.
Even the late head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, declared his support for the legal protection of LGBTQIA+ people in relationships by calling for the passage of civil union laws, the first such position for the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The full text of the CHR position Paper on House Bill (HB) Nos. 1015 and 6782, entitled an “Act Recognizing the Civil Partnership of Couples, Providing for Their Rights and Obligations”, is available HERE.
