Senatorial bet eyes nationalizing 'Right to Care' card

Lawyer and educator Angelo de Alban has pledged to expand the Right to Care card — a document allowing same-sex couples in Quezon City to make medical decisions for their partners — on a national scale if elected to the Senate.

Speaking at the "Harapan sa Diliman: A Senatorial Forum" on the Equality Agenda, de Alban also called for government funding for the mental health needs of the LGBTQ+ community and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

"We need to provide free therapy to those in need and developmental assessments for LGBT children because we won’t know if they have challenges unless they undergo assessment," de Alban said in Filipino.

He also emphasized the need to institutionalize the Right to Care card, which is currently limited to Quezon City residents.

"The government must prioritize LGBTQ+ individuals and PWDs. We should expand and institutionalize what Quezon City has done with the Right to Care card, which authorizes same-sex partners to make medical decisions for each other," he added.

The Right to Care card, introduced in 2024, is based on a Special Power of Attorney and was created in the absence of national legislation granting LGBTQ+ couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in medical settings.

De Alban previously ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 Senate elections, but the Commission on Elections declared him a nuisance candidate, citing concerns over his ability to sustain a nationwide campaign.

Coming from a family of lawyers and educators, de Alban earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Law degree, and Master of Laws from the University of Santo Tomas. In 2008, he co-founded a school for children with special needs alongside his family members.