Sen. Sonny Angara – in a short clip dedicated to the LGBT community in the Philippines – extended his felicitations for the Pride month, just as he expressed hope it’ll be a ‘great Pride month’ for LGBT Filipinos.
Angara is – by and large – known as an LGBT ally, sponsoring one of the earlier versions of the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), Senate Bill 948 (or the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act).
SB 948 – which eyed to prohibit discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, SOGI, HIV status, relationship status, disability, language, physical features, health status and medical history – failed to pass. Under the proposed measure, acts of discrimination include promoting and encouraging stigma, inciting hatred or violence, inflicting harm on health and well-being, and engaging in profiling. Also to be penalized are denial of political, civil and cultural rights; right to education, work, organize, expression; and denial of access to goods and services. Had it become law, offenders may be penalized with not less than a year but not more than six years imprisonment or a fine of not more than P500,000, or both.
In 2016, while guesting on a noontime show in TV giant ABS-CBN, Angara promoted SB 948, which was then pending in the Senate. He was quoted as saying that “any form of discrimination threatens order and stability in our country. It is imperative that discrimination — or any act that establishes, promotes and perpetuates standing inequalities and disregards the right to equality of treatment — be reduced.”
Angara, who has yet to verbalize his position on marriage equality, nonetheless stated that “I believe… LGBT unions should have equal rights under the law, including rights to inherit and other property rights.
