A SENATORIAL forum held Thursday at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus brought eight candidates face-to-face with crucial issues of gender equality, divorce, and same-sex marriage.
The event, “Harapan Sa Diliman: A Senatorial Forum on the Equality Agenda,” organized by the Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY), drew over 400 attendees, including members of the Saliraya women’s organization, students, professionals, and political science students from various Metro Manila universities.
While nearly all senatorial candidates received invitations, only eight participated: Leody de Guzman (Partido Lakas ng Masa), Ernesto Arellano (Kamalayan Kayumanggi Party), Roy Jerusalem Cabognero (Democratic Party of the Philippines), Atty. Sonny Matula (Workers and Peasants Party), and Arnel Bondilles Escobal (Partido Maharlika), along with independent candidates Norman Marquez, Angelo Castro de Alban, and Jose Jessei Olivar. The forum, moderated by stand-up host and writer Jervi Wrightson (KaladKaren) and Angela Lagunzad-Castro of TV5’s Gud Morning Kapatid, highlighted the importance of engaging with young voters, who, according to Wrightson, are particularly interested in candidates’ stances on equality issues.
Each candidate was given 60 minutes to introduce themselves and present their platforms. The discussion on the divorce bill revealed a divergence of opinions.
Atty. Matula argued that existing legal separation and annulment processes adequately address the need to end marriages, while Arellano strongly advocated for a divorce law, stating that forcing couples to remain together is inhumane and that dissolving the marriage allows for a more productive new beginning.
The forum, also partnered with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Rainbow Forum, aimed to connect candidates’ policies and visions with voters, particularly from youth, student, women, and LGBTQIA+ communities. PANTAY, a youth-led NGO of LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies, champions gender equality and human rights in the Philippines.
The forum underscored the importance of these issues in the upcoming elections and provided a platform for candidates to engage directly with a segment of the electorate deeply invested in these concerns.
