Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla on Monday expressed his support for the legislation of the proposed measures prohibiting Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression Equality (SOGIE)-based discrimination.

During his opening statement at the public hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, Padilla said that it is no less the Philippine Constitution that made clear there is no room in the Philippines for gender-based discrimination against anyone.

"There is no mention of a particular gender in the Constitution, or that we are favoring a certain gender over another. The Preamble of our Constitution states that all Filipinos are equal, not only in the eyes of God, but also before the laws of man," he said.

"It is clear… that there is no favoring of one gender over another. The Constitution is clear that all Filipinos are equal, not only in the eyes of God but also in the eyes of the law," he added.

Padilla earlier proposed a measure seeking to institutionalize the civil union of same-sex couples, a move that did not sit well with his brothers in Islam.

'No to SOGIE'

During the public hearing, several religious groups have expressed their opposition to the passage of Senate Bills No. 139 and 245 entitled, An Act Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) and Providing Penalties Therefor.

The former authored by yours truly, and the latter by Sen. Loren Legarda. SBN 442 or An Act Penalizing Discriminatory Actions Based on Gender Identity or Expression and Sexual Orientation introduced by Sen. Mark Villar.

Atty. Joel Arzaga, Vice President of the Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines, Inc., stressed that their group acknowledges the legislative intent of the proposed measures to prohibit gender-based discrimination.

However, Arzaga said that the SOGIE bill's pursuit of this, "it unwittingly infringes other Constitutional liberties, goes beyond the mere intent of curbing undue discrimination and violence and ventures into promotion of ideas or philosophies through definitions, proposed government programs and policies, information and education campaigns and even media portrayals."