Gay-lesbian group makes last-ditch poll bid

Ang Ladlad, a party-list group representing gays and lesbians, on Tueday made a final appeal to the Commission on Elections to allow it to take part in the May 14 elections. Ang Ladlad president Danton Remoto, a noted gay writer, said in an interview that he personally spoke with Comelec commissioners in a bid to persuade them to accredit the party-list group. "I felt that some of the commissioners could be sympathetic to our cause so I made a last minute verbal appeal, because we already filed our motion for reconsideration," Remoto said. "I made a last minute appeal and if nothing happens, we would go to the Supreme Court next week," he added. The Comelec second division, in a three-page resolution on February 27, denied for lack of merit Ang Ladlad's petition, questioned the group’s assertion it had members throughout the country. Party-list groups represent "marginalized" sectors in the country. Those that obtain 2 percent of votes cast for party-list groups get one seat in the House of Representatives, at 4 percent two seats, and at 6 percent or more, the maximum of three seats. Remoto said poll officials also questioned if Ang Ladlad represented a marginalized group. "They (the commissioners) are reading it (Ang Ladlad’s motion for reconsideration) now, although they have questions on the matter of marginalization. I think that for some of them, the matter of marginalization boils down to economics, which means the fishermen, the peasants, those who are really poor," he said. But Remoto pointed out that there are many gays who are poor and that "many lesbians cannot get jobs because of their (sexual) orientation." In its motion for reconsideration, Ang Ladlad submitted to the Comelec a list of its provincial coordinators. According to the group, it has a membership of 16,000 nationwide. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez earlier said that the poll body rejected Ang Ladlad's petition for accreditation simply because it failed to comply with all the requirements of the law. "Contrary to petitioner's allegation 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 Comelec said in its resolution disqualifying Ang Ladlad. But Jimenez insisted that the poll body did not doubt Ang Ladlad's sincerity to promote the interests of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender individuals if elected to Congress. Remoto also said he is considering running as Quezon City Representative if the Comelec maintains not accrediting Ang Ladlad. "As our final alternative, I might run as congressman of district 3 of Quezon City. I have lived there for 32 years," he said. Remoto also said he was not confident the Comelec would give due course to his bid for senator. The Ang Ladlad leader was among the 42 senatorial aspirants that the poll body required to show cause why their certificates of candicacy should not be denied due course. -GMANews.TV