Eight senatorial bets bravely responded to the issue of gender equality, divorce and same sex marriage from the senatorial forum held at the School of Statistics Auditorium, U.P. Diliman campus, Quezon City this Thursday.

The event dubbed as Harapan Sa Diliman: A Senatorial Forum on the Equality Agenda. was organized by the Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY).

Over 400 individuals, including Saliraya women’s organization members, young people, professionals, and political science students from various Metro Manila universities attended the fora.

The eight senatorial candidates took part in the forum: Leody de Guzman of Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM); Labor lawyer Ernesto Arellano of the Kamalayan Kayumanggi Party; Roy Jerusalem Cabognero of the Democratic Party of the Philippines; Atty. Sonny Matula – Workers and Peasants Party’s (WPP) and Arnel Bondilles Escobal of the Partido Maharlika.

Norman Marquez, Angelo Castro de Alban, and Jose Jessei Olivar are also present as independent candidates.

Stand-up host and moderator of the forum was Jervi Wrightson, writer, and impersonator better known by her stage name KaladKaren and Angela Lagunzad-Castro, TV5 Gud Morning Kapatid show’s host,

Before the start of the discussion, the forum coordinator from Pantay announced that although nearly all of the senatorial candidates had received invitations, only eight had accepted.

Wrightson (Kaladkaren) LGBT rights advocates reminded senatorial candidates with high political survey scores shouldn’t become complacent since young students are more interested in learning about each candidate’s political stance.

Each candidates was allotted sixty minutes time to introduce themselves and present their political platform.

On the issue of divorce bill

Matulla stated that marriage can be ended based on the current legal separation and annulment of declaring it null and void.

Arellano however believes that forcing a couple to live together is inhuman, hence he supports enacting a divorce statute.

Dissolve the marriage to allow them to begin a new life, marriage. Arellano said that it was more productive.

On same sex marriage

De Guzman and Arellano favors same sex marriage.
Let’s not be violent to lovers, Arellano points out which drew thunderous applause from the audience.

The said forum was also in partnership with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the Rainbow Forum hopes to bring your policies and vision closer to voters especially those from youth, student, women, LGBTIQ+ communities. 

Pantay organization, is a youth-led non-governmental organization of LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies that promotes gender equality and human rights in the Philippines.