Transgender solon Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman on Friday lectured the leader of a religious denomination Friday "not to use the Bible as a science book."
Roman, in a virtual hearing of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality, said she felt alluded to by the statements of Presbytarian Church of the Philippines General Secretary Nelson Dangan during the heated discussions on the proposed sexual orientation or gender identity or expression (SOGIE) equality bills.
"Ang paki-usap lang po namin sa inyong mga gustong mag-approve ng SOGIE bill, isang araw haharap tayo sa Diyos at manangot tayo sa anumang bills na ating inaprubahan sa Kongreso. Sana ang mga bills na ating pong gagawin at aaprubahan sa Kongreso ay huwag hong maging anti-God, huwag hong kumontra sa sinasabi ng Banal na Kasulatan (My appeal to those who want to approve the SOGIE, one day we will face God and we will be accounted for any of the bills we approved in Congress. Hopefully the bills that we author and approve in Congress won't be anti-God, and not against the Holy Scripture)," Dangan said.
"May the Lord enlighten the congressmen and congresswomen who want to approve this bill," added Dangan, who was one of the 40-plus resource persons that attended the hearing.
The Presbyterian Church of the Philippines is an evangelical, Bible-based, reformed denomination in the Philippines, according to its website.
Roman, a vocal proponent of the SOGIE equality measures which espouse non-discrimination against members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community, responded to some of Dangan's remarks.
"I can't help but feel alluded to by the comments (of Dangan). In comparison to the manifestation and position papers of (the others), I really have to express my disagreement and I find it highly offensive. But of course that is in the exercise of freedom of speech," said the committee vice-chairperson.
"I want to point at one thing. Today we are celebrating the Feast Day of… St. Augustine. He said that you cannot treat the Bible like a science book….Sabi nga ni (According to) St. Augustine, if you want to convince other people, you cannot ignore empirical data," she said.
Roman noted that as part of Dangan's position paper, he cited the Book of Genesis and said that God created male and female. He also insisted that by God's divine design, a man was only made to be with a woman, and vice-versa.
"I'd like to remind you that (God) also created intersex people. Empirical data shows that intersex people do exist. Kaya nga ho mayroon (That's why they have) sexual characteristics and they're also human beings created by God," the solon told Dangan.
"So please, while recognizing the many beautiful messages of how God supervised the entire Creation -- I personally do not believe in the Creation theory of seven days -- but I do believe that God had a say in directing that creation. Please do not cite this (Genesis). Because you're treating the Bible like it was a science book," she added.
Dangan warned that the Philippines will follow the fate of the Bibical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if the SOGIE bill becomes law. "We have yet to solve COVID-19 and here we are inviting punishment from God," he said in Filipino.
Portrayed as cities of sin, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire as per the Bible.
"We respect all the people created by God but we are against SOGIE bill because in the Bible, God created male and female. And if we are going to approve the SOGIE bill, we violate the will of God and you are inviting the wrath of God to come to the Philippines," Dangan said, adding, "We should respect God and we should be a God-fearing nation."
At another point in the hearing, Roman asked the resource persons not to turn the proceedings into a stage for the declaration of their respective faiths, so as to move forward the discussion on the 15 pending SOGIE bills.
"I'd like to remind again our resource persons to be specific enough which part of the bill don't you like, etc. You have four minutes only. Just be practical. Do not spend the four minutes of your time sharing your religious beliefs. This is not the forum for that, really. If I had made any allusion to St. Augustine, it was simply to point out that Biblical truths cannot be taken from a scientific light," she said.
House Minority Leader Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. did not subscribe to this and during his own manifestation asked his House colleagues to let the religious leaders talk.
"I know emotions can be high and I would like to let Congressman Roman know that I respect him a lot, his dad is a very close friend of mine," Abante said, conspicuously referring to the transgender lawmaker as male. Abante is a Baptist bishop.
"But we would like to understand even as legislators, that when we invite pastors and bishops as resource speakers, you cannot deny them to speak of their faith. And so please allow them to speak of their faith. That's even what the Constitution tells us," he said.
Panel chairperson Bukidnon Rep. Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba said in rejoinder to Roman and Dangan's comments: "We policy-makers always have to assess our legislative measures in that they should be grounded in reality and to always contextualize them."
Philippine lawmakers have been pursuing a SOGIE equality Act since the 11th Congress or more than 20 years ago.
It was passed for the first time on third and final reading in the House of Representatives during the previous 17th Congress, and via unanimous 197-0 vote at that. However, its passage was stalled in the Senate.