Abante rages on, excerpts from his speech

A battle to pass a human rights measure penalizing discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders is raging in the House of Representatives, where the incumbent Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights, Rep. Bienvenido Abante (6th Distict, Manila City), is ironically blocking the bill's passage. In a controversial speech delivered last Monday, Rep. Abante, who is also a Baptist pastor, charged that the enactment of the bill would invite the wrath of God and would mean "death to the most cherished Filipino values of Godliness and moral rectitude."

LAGABLAB is calling anew for protest letters against Rep. Abante. We urge those who value human dignity and equality to demand for his resignation as the Chair of the House Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights.

To read more and to download a copy of Abante's speech, visit http://lagablab.wordpress.com/2006/11/22/abante-speech/.

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Some quotes from Rep. Abante's speech:

"We cannot legislate on these. To abet sin and ungodliness is to invite the wrath of God upon ourselves and our God-loving nation."

"Mr. Speaker, my being a male is not my choice, that was Divine choice. Women being women is not their choice, that is Divine choice, and no human being has the right to go against God’s choice, Mr. Speaker."

"If I may quote, Genesis, Chapter I, when it spoke of creation, the Bible says, 'Male and female created Eden.' I do not find in the Bible that God created male and female and the in-betweens. Mr. Speaker, I find in the Bible that God created Adam and Eve. I do not find in the Bible that God created Adam and Steve."

"Mr. Speaker, I was told that the Lagablab Organization has declared an open war against me. That they will even campaign hard against me in my district. That I might not be voted upon. Huwag naman, Mr. Speaker. Hindi ko sila kaaway, Mr. Speaker. (I hope not, Mr. Speaker. They are not my enemies). But you know what, even if the Lagablab group has declared an open war against me, I declare to them the love of God because God loves them very much, Mr. Speaker."

"Thus, approving House Bill No. 634, Mr. Speaker, would mean death to the ideals and aspirations enshrined in our Constitution; death to a just and humane society that promotes the common good; death to the most cherished Filipino values of Godliness and moral rectitude."

"The Preamble is a living testament of our recognition of an Almighty God in a direct and personal way. In imploring the aid of Almighty God we manifested our unfaltering reliance upon Him and we recognize the reality that it is God Who guides the destinies of men and nations. In crafting laws, therefore, we must be guided by what is right before God. This bill, once signed into law, will encourage social aberrations as well as moral decadence through unconventional lifestyles that will come to pass as acceptable norms of conduct should this bill become a law."