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Ban on Homosexual “Marriage” Introduced in Philippines Parliament

By Gudrun Schultz

MANILA, Philippines, July 5, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Legislation that would prevent marriage between transsexuals, and would remove current recognition of existing same-sex unions from Philippines law have been introduced in both the Congress and the Senate. The measures have been brought forward as legislators react to recent local court rulings allowing transsexuals to change their legal status from male to female.

House Bill 1245, introduced by representative Rozzano Rufino Biazon, “prohibits marriages between two men, one of whom had a sex exchange [sic.] operation and between two women, one of whom also had a sex exchange [sic.] operation.”  The bill would only allow marriage between “natural born males and natural born females.”

Transsexual marriages, Biazon said, would violate the laws of God, of man and of nature.

“This bill seeks to amend the Family Code to prohibit such marriages. Aside from being against the laws of God and the laws of nature, marriages under these circumstances are against the interest of society in general. Not only does it stretch the limits of custom, tradition and social norms, it endangers the interests of those entering into marriages who might not realize that the person they intend to marry, have children and spend the rest of their lives with, is originally of the same biological make up as they.”

Rozzano Biazon’s father, Senator Rodolfo Biazon, introduced an identical bill to the Senate as counterpart.

A Senate bill that would prevent transsexual marriages performed outside the country from receiving legal recognition was also brought forward. Legislation currently in place left room for the recognition of foreign same-sex unions by failing to specify gender requirements. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who sponsored the measure, said, “marriage is a union founded on the distinction of sex. That contracting parties must be of different sex is, in fact, a requirement under the provisions on legal capacity.”

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has urged lawmakers to refuse recognition to homosexual civil unions. Following the Vatican’s 2003 release of a document on homosexual unions, stating that such unions are not morally acceptable and may not be given legal recognition, the secretary-general of the CBCP, Msgr. Hernando Coronel, said the Philippine bishops “value and share the Vatican’s stand.”

“[T]he bishops conference urges the legislature to consider the law of God [and] natural law in formation of human law. The bishops appeal to the members of Congress not to legalize what is immoral, to legitimize what is unethical, to make human law that is contrary to divine law.”

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Philippine Congress Passes Gay Rights Law
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/feb/04020505.html

Philippine AIDS Rate Has Doubled Coinciding with Increase of Condom Use
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06020308.html

South African, Polish and Philippine Bishops Praise Vatican Document on Homosexual Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/aug/03081802.html
 
New Vatican Document on Homosexual Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jul/030731a.html ;

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