ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo has expressed support behind the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality bill, which aims to protect the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in the country. 

During plenary session Wednesday night, Sept. 11, particularly in his interpelation on the proposed bill authored by Bataan 1st district Rep. Geraldine Roman, Tulfo said that he was satisfaction with the proposal. 

“Now, I would just like to point out before I close, being a Catholic, a Roman Catholic, a former seminarian, the Catholic Church, though considered a conservative religion through Pope Francis now supports civil legislation that gives same-sex couples rights in areas such as pensions, health insurance, and inheritance,” Tulfo said. 

“The Roman Catholic Church now accepts same-sex attraction, and it says that it is not sinful. And it welcomes everybody in the house of God, including the LGBT community. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I support the passage of this bill,” added the deputy majority leader for communications and popular broadcast journalist. 

For her part, Roman recognized Rep. Tulfo and his brother, Senator Raffy Tulfo, for their “gender sensetive” radio programs and always supporting the LGBTQIA+  community. 

Roman, the first transgender solon in the history of Philippine Congress, also said that media should emulate the Tulfo brothers for supporting the SOGIESC Equality Bill. 

During his interpelation, Tulfo said he wants to make sure that the bill--by prohibiting discrimination--can really help the economy and also attract foreign investment to the country. 

Tulfo, being a media practitioner, also suggested an effective information dissemination campaign to inform the public about the merits of the anti-discrimination bill.