It was a close encounter between Municipal SK Federation President Marffin Bayog
Dulay and Senator Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel.
The
lady solon, in the middle of the opening handshake, solicited the support of
the ex-officio Sangguniang Bayan member and simultaneously
serving as the Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson of Barangay Poblacion in
Sablayan on the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE)
Equality Bill but the latter didn’t say a word about it. All the senator got is
a smile. The visiting local officials exchanged pleasantries with her before
the official business meeting went on.
Aside from SB Dulay, present in the meeting with Senator Hontiveros last November 4, 2019 are SBs Bong V. Urieta, Jun-Jun C. Ventura, Greg A. Villar, Obet Z. Dawates, Jaebee A. Dawates, Salvy U. de Vera, Mc. King O. Legaspi, Ruben C. Aldaba, and Vice-Mayor Bong Marquez.
Aside from SB Dulay, present in the meeting with Senator Hontiveros last November 4, 2019 are SBs Bong V. Urieta, Jun-Jun C. Ventura, Greg A. Villar, Obet Z. Dawates, Jaebee A. Dawates, Salvy U. de Vera, Mc. King O. Legaspi, Ruben C. Aldaba, and Vice-Mayor Bong Marquez.
The eldest child of Rufino Dulay and
Mary Bayog who was born on October 9, 1996, though member of the LGBTQIA+ community
is critical of the bill. SB Dulay, being a devout Catholic, believes that just
like another individual human being, any human condition is an instrument for spiritual renewal and salvation. “Regardless
of our sex or gender, each of us is called to fulfill God’s will in our lives,”
says the young dreamer who believes in the value of divine intervention who
calls for a PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens). By the way, SB Dulay is a
product of a Catholic school. The SK Fed prexy graduated at Colegio de San
Sebastian with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
with various recognition in academic and non-academic areas.
SB Marffin is an active member and
leader of different youth organizations that showcases the participation and
involvement of youth in a more productive and inclusive venues and served as
Presiding Officer of Local Youth Development Council (LYDC) and an enthusiastic
member of the Gender and Development Focal Point System, Municipal Peace and
Order Council, Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council, Municipal Advisory Council of
PNP in Sablayan. On the other hand, Hontiveros is the chairperson of the Senate
Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, which
conducts the hearings on the SOGIE bill.
Senator Hontiveros believes that her
bill is
still the best policy tool to protect members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender community from discrimination, harassment, and violence. Nonetheless, the senator emphasized from the start that her bill will “take into consideration religious and faith-based sensitivities.”
In May 2019, the SOGIE Equality Bill
officially became the longest-running bill under the Senate interpellation
period in Philippine history. The bill has become one of the slowest-moving
bills in the country's history.
According
to SB Dulay, SOGIE Equality Bill is not the ultimate solution to gender inequality and
giving extra rights for the LGBTQIA+ is something to study much further.
Anti-discrimination laws are intact and they are enough.
During
a tête-à-tête with this lowly blogger, Marffin said that self-respect must come
first before you expect respect from others. The youth leader from Sablayan is
greatly dismayed when LGBTQIA+ community members fight each other for there are
a lot of them are also against the proposed legislation.
“Ang babae kahit anong
gawin, babae yan. Ganun din ang lalaki. Kung ikaw ay bakla, lalaki ka pa rin,
Kung ikaw ay tomboy, babae ka pa rin. Yan ang masakit na katotohanan. Ngunit
kaakibat niyan, isipin mo na lang bakit ka nilikha bilang ikaw. Dahil lahat tayo
ay may misyon sa ating buhay, inilagay ka lang sa ganyang pangangatawan dahil
diyan mo magagampanan ang misyon mo sa mundo,” says the youth leader
who states further that, “Hindi masama ang
magmahal ng kapwa mo lalaki o babae. Ang masama ay habang nag mamahalan kayo ay
may natatapakan kayong kapwa ninyo.”
But both Hontiveros and Dulay,
despite of their differences on the SOGIE issue, are against any form of discrimination
and they want the best for their constituents. They want to preserve values
and the Filipino family through their respective official capacity at present…
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(Photo: Jasper H. Francisco)
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