MANILA — Lawmakers Geraldine Roman and Bro. Eddie Villanueva clashed anew Wednesday in the panel hearing on bills seeking to prohibit and penalize discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, otherwise known as the SOGIE bills.

Villanueva, representative of the CIBAC party list, accused the panel of “suppressing” some resource persons, after they were given time limits to share their views.

He insisted that all stakeholders be given ample opportunity to speak in the committee hearing. At least 40 resource persons registered to speak before the house panel.

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Roman, chairperson of the House committee on Women and Gender Equality, denied “suppressing” anyone, and explained that committee hearings have time constraints.

“Gusto ko lang malaman ng sambayanan na there is no 100% free market of ideas in this hearing,” Villanueva said.

“The chair kindly requests you to refrain from accusing this committee and its members from suppressing, because we are all here open and ready to listen to your ideas… What we have done in the past is because of time constraints... Please do not accuse us of that,” Roman told the evangelist lawmaker.

Villanueva also slammed the creation of a technical working group (TWG) for the SOGIE bills, calling it a “shortcut” to hearing the measures.

The committee approved on Wednesday the motion of Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. to create a TWG to consolidate the bills and study the questioned provisions.

Roman assured Villanueva that stakeholders will continue to be heard despite the formation of a TWG.

“I just want to remind everybody of the importance of public hearing. I cannot really accept that we will just resort to the creation of technical working group without proper public hearing. Let’s give all these resource persons a chance. This is not a joke,” Villanueva said.

“They will be heard… We will give them a chance. Pero hindi naman pwedeng 107. That will be impossible. Talk among yourselves, coordinate. Ano bang gusto niyong reflected? Choose spokespersons,” Roman replied.

“For me, the technical working group is making a shortcut to this hearing. This is very important. Out of 110 million Filipinos, they don’t understand SOGIE. Because there is unwitting suppression of freedom of expression,” Villanueva asserted.

“Rep. Abante, as a member of this committee, filed a motion for the creation of a technical working group, but that doesn’t mean that our resource persons will not be heard... when you come to the TWG, you have to come up with very organized and smaller groups that will summarize what your points are. But for today, we will continue,” Roman explained.

'DISCRIMINATORY TO THE STRAIGHT COMMUNITY'

During Wednesday’s hearing, representatives of some religious and evangelical groups expressed apprehensions on the bill, with one calling it “discriminatory to the straight community."

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Bishop Noel Pantoja, meanwhile, raised concern that the bill will prohibit publication of materials that define human gender as only male and female, including the Bible.

Roman assured him that the expression of religious beliefs will not be prohibited, and that the bills only seek to protect the expression of gender identity and sexual orientation from discrimination.

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Tensions also ran high as Abante and Atty. Evelyn “Leo” Battad argued over whether the Constitution is self-executing.

This was after a resource person told the panel that there is no need for the SOGIE bills, since the Constitution already protects against discrimination.

“It (Constitution) is not self-executing. It’s just a principle. We still need an enabling law,” Battad said.

“When you speak of the Constitution, it is self-executing… You are giving a legal opinion, am I right?” Abante asked.

“I am not giving a legal opinion. That is what we study in the College of Law. That when we talk of the policies and principles of the Constitution, we need an enabling law, because it is a statement of belief, and we need to have a specific law to make that realized,” Battad replied.

“I am not allowing you to argue with me. You are not a part of Congress,” Abante retorted.

“I was asked, your honor,” Battad said.

The committee plans to hold another hearing to give other stakeholders a chance to share their thoughts on the proposed measures.

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