'Medieval' Comelec hit for rejecting Ang Ladlad

Gay bashers or grand inquisitors? Critics of the Commission on Elections are increasing. Politicians and netizens believe that the Comelec acted "medieval" after it rejected the petition of a gay and lesbian group to be accredited as a party-list group and join next year’s national elections. “To deny representation for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) as a marginalized sector is outright discrimination. To invoke religion to violate their rights is sheer bigotry," said Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza in a statement sent to media on Saturday. The Comelec’s Second Division presided by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer on Thursday denied Ang Ladlad’s petition on basis of “moral grounds." In its eight-page resolution, the poll body said the group “apparently advocates" sexual immorality, which violates the Civil Code and the Revised Penal Code. Akbayan party-list Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros said the Comelec’s decision could be used as basis to impeach the officials of the poll body. “By using religion as a basis to reject Ang Ladlad’s accreditation, they have crossed the constitutional boundary between the State and religion. For that alone, they can be impeached. They should be made to read the Constitution," said Hontiveros, author of the Anti-Discrimination Bill, which grants equal rights to LGBTs. Maza is asking the Comelec if it has already become a member of a religious group, while Hontiveros thinks that the poll body has become “homophobic and medieval" in its actions. “It is ironic that they view LGBTs as immoral, when the LGBT community is a part of the human family. Filipino LGBTs are citizens of our country, and they deserve to be accorded with equal rights," said Hontiveros. “Furthermore, what is the ascendancy of COMELEC to be the country’s moral compass when it has accredited the party-list of Palparan, a human rights violator?" added Hontiveros. Critics from cyberspace Anti-Comelec statements have also flooded cyberspace. User burlanhagi of the gay site Manilagayguy.net hit Comelec for denying the LGBT community the right to be represented in government. “Party-lists, in the first place, are supposed to represent marginalized sectors in society and not the majority. Some people need to review their basic laws and constitutions," the user said. Another visitor of the site, poorcomelec, commented, “Hello Philippine government? 21st century na. Free society na tayo. Sana one day dumating ‘yung time na totally na ang pamahalaan sa simbahan pagdating sa social matter." (Hello Philippine government? It’s the 21st century already. We are already in a free society. I hope there will come a day that the government would be totally separated with the Church regarding social matters.) A lesbian user of another forum nicknamed "fireworks" questioned the “different treatment" toward members of the LGBT community. “To say the least, homosexuals, who are said to have equal rights with other citizens, (are) treated differently because of lifestyle and sexual preference," she said. Two years ago, the group led by professor Danton Remoto also failed to get Comelec’s nod. In the February 27, 2007 resolution, the Comelec’s Second Division then presided by Commissioner Florentino A. Tuason Jr. said that Ang Ladlad declared untruthful statements in its petition. “Contrary to petitioner’s allegation in its petition that its membership is national in scope, reports from our field offices reveal that it doesn’t exist in most regions of the country," the resolution stated. - GMANews.TV