By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

While recently addressing new members of the ruling PDP-Laban in Negros Occidental, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez campaigned for civil unions and legalizing divorce.

Alvarez, who was in the province for last week’s mass oath-taking for the party, said the civil unions bill aims to grant rights for same-sex and live-in couples to be together.

“The government cannot keep its eyes closed and not give protection to our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community,” he stated.

The speaker also advocated for legalizing divorce.

“If both parties agree to part ways, they can just file a joint petition to dissolve the marriage, it’s only one hearing,” he said.

Alvarez added, filing an annulment case alone is not only time consuming but expensive.

Earlier this year, former San Sebastian Cathedral Rector, Fr. Felix Pasquin, criticized the proposed bills calling it a “travesty of God’s intent in instituting the sacrament of marriage.”/DGB, WDJ