MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte is in favor of same-sex civil union but not same-sex marriage, his spokesperson said Monday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after results of the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 61 percent of adult Filipinos disagree that a law allowing civil union between two persons of the same sex will be passed.
The same survey showed that 22 percent agree with same-sex union while the remaining 16 percent were undecided about it.
“Si Presidente tutol sa same-sex marriage. Pero ‘yung union po, pabor po diyan si Presidente para naman maayos iyong iba’t-ibang aspeto ng pagsasama ng kaparehong kasarian (The President is against same-sex marriage. But on same sex union, he is in favor of that so that there could be an organized aspect of same-sex couples living together),” Roque said in a briefing in Maasin City, Southern Leyte.
“Kung (But if it’s) same-sex marriage po iyan, even the President is part of the majority in opposing it,” he added.
The Supreme Court has recently concluded its oral arguments on same-sex marriage just days before last Saturday’s Metro Manila Pride March at the Marikina Sports Center.
Roque, meanwhile, said that he felt like there was “no hope” for the petition on same-sex marriage to win in the Supreme Court but noted that he could be wrong.
“I don’t think the current challenge in the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of Article 1 of the Family Code, defining a marriage as between a man and a woman will actually succeed on the basis of the oral arguments conducted,” Roque said.
“Parang wala pong pag-asa na manalo iyong kasong iyon sa (It seems like there is no hope for that case to win in the) Supreme Court. But I could be wrong,” he added.
Duterte has previously said that he “wanted” gay marriage but only after the passage of a law allowing it.
The leadership of the Philippines’ dominant Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, has stood firm in its opposition to legalize same-sex marriage. (PNA)
