Unbelievable...

Gays ask Aquino to back anti-discrimination, RH bills

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Members of gays and lesbians groups here danced to disco music along downtown Baguio on Sunday, celebrating the 4th Baguio Pride Week by preaching gay rights in their colorful costumes and wigs.

But behind the make-up and Michael Jackson afro wigs was a serious campaign to draw the attention of incoming President Benigno Aquino III -- scheduled to be sworn into office on June 30 -- to issues of gay rights and reproductive health issues, said Bemz Benedito, the first nominee and national secretary of the party-list group Ang Ladlad.

Benedito said the national organization of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) was persuaded by incoming Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman to join the Aquino volunteer network and campaign for Aquino in exchange for support for measures institutionalizing reproductive health (RH) and anti-discrimination laws.

“Maniningil na kami (It’s time for payback),” he said...

On April 9, the Supreme Court reversed Comelec’s decision, arguing that to reject a gay party-list group “on purely moral grounds amounts more to a statement of dislike and disapproval of homosexuals rather than a tool to further any substantial public interest.”

Benedito said the high court’s ruling came too late for their campaign. “So we campaigned for Noynoy and we now have started lobbying aggressively with the [representatives who won the elections] to try to get the anti-discrimination and RH bills reinstated for the incoming Congress,” he said.

“We have just sat with Quezon City Rep. Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. [who is being groomed by the Liberal Party as Speaker] and he said he would support the bills in principle, provided we can get him the numbers,” he said.
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What ? WHAT ?!?!?
Dinky Soliman and Sonny Belmonte engaged in wheeling-dealing with Ang Ladlad ???
Public officials worth their salt wouldn't admit to promising or influencing public policy based on favor/s granted.

Incredible. I almost spewed my coffee into the monitor.

Ok, let's repeat Ang Ladlad's Benedito's statements;

... (LGBT) was persuaded by incoming Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman to join the Aquino volunteer network and campaign for Aquino in exchange for support for measures institutionalizing reproductive health (RH) and anti-discrimination laws.
...
“We have just sat with Quezon City Rep. Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. [who is being groomed by the Liberal Party as Speaker] and he said he would support the bills in principle, provided we can get him the numbers,” he said.

I take note of the words "..in exchange for support..." (reportedly by Soliman) and "...provided we can get him the numbers" (reportedly by Belmonte).

Ang Ladlad's Bendito should realize he (she?) is attributing statements that put the integrity of the two prominent figures in question. Legislative policies and positions of public interest are decided on its objective merits ALONE, and not in exchange for private favors granted.
I dare ANYONE to contest that.

Dinky Soliman and Sonny Belmonte should clarify this issue ASAP.

President Aquino, these things should not be allowed to pass.

"Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap".
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