A netizen gave his reasons why he opposed the SOGIE equality bill, which became a viral topic after trans woman Gretchen Diez was blocked from using a restroom designated for females.

In a post, Norman Sison Lao clarified that he’s not opposing the said bill because he doesn’t like the LGBTQIA+ community, however, he’s concerned that SOGIE might give unfair treatment to straight people.

Lao said that there are already some laws that could protect the members of the LGBTQIA+ community without pushing for the SOGIE bill.

The anti-SOGIE advocate is also concern that the bible might be banned because it contains some words against homosexuality.

You can read his post below:

1. SOGIE is unfair to STRAIGHT PEOPLE. For example, we will be penalized for “hurting their feelings” with P100,000-500,000 plus 1-6 years detention, while there is no provision of law that LGBTQ+ people will be penalized if they hurt ours.

2. There are provisions in SOGIE that can be used to curtail our exercise of religious freedoms. For example, we cannot speak in public to express what we know is the truth.

3. The Bible, the basis of our faith and practice since the time of Jesus Christ, might be banned because of the provision that all media that “discriminates against” LGBTQ+ will not be allowed for circulation.

4. There is a provision in the SOGIE Bill that will impose LGBTQ+ teaching upon our children since they will be integrated into all educational institutions. 

5. The claim that the SOGIE Bill will empower women is CONFUSING since there is no “W-omen” in L.G.B.T.Q.”

6. There is NO NEED for SOGIE. If the LGBTQ+ community needs a CR for themselves, let them file a Bill that addresses that specific issue such as “LGBTQ+ CR Bill” that will require all establishments to build a CR for them.

7. The SOGIE bill is NOT for Equality, but clearly for Preferential Treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ over the rest of the people. This is quite clear in the recent transgender CR fiasco where the transgender was given more media mileage and government attention compared to the Straight Janitress.

8. The SOGIE bill does not address inequality. It actually differentiates against Straight People. We already feel differentiated even when SOGIE is not yet a law.

9. The SOGIE bill is deceptive. Why remove the “except for marriage” clause in the application for licenses in the Senate version of the Bill?

10. There are substantial provisions in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and other existing laws that protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people and the rest of the nation.

11. We cannot be forced to accept as normal and natural what we feel is not. To say that a trans-woman is a REAL WOMAN and expect all of us to accept that as “truth” is an imposition of one’s thinking over the majority of the Filipinos. (Even though this does not appear in the SOGIE Bill the fact is that it was commented by one of the strongest proponents of the SOGIE Bill.)

12. We are apprehensive what a SOGIE LAW will do to our nation. One advocate of the SOGIE Bill said that “gender must not be assigned at birth” which, for us, is a revelation of what is at the heart of the SOGIE Bill: the imposition of the LGBTQ+ will on the MAJORITY of the Filipino people.

The post of Lao has been reposted by pages on social media and now receiving thousands of shares and mixed reactions.

President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Vice President Leni Robredo for saying that public officials accepting gifts from the people who helped by them is unconstitutional.

During his speech at the Outstanding Government Workers Awards Rites in Malacanang on Wednesday, President Duterte explained that there are exemptions in the law where a public official may accept gifts if they received it out of gratitude.

He also mentioned Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Panfilo Lacson, who criticized him for his statements about public official receiving gifts.

According to the President, the country might be in trouble if Robredo becomes the President as she doesn’t understand the law.

Meanwhile, he said that he would forgive Lacson because the latter “is not a lawyer.”

“I quoted the very words (of) anti-graft and corrupt practices. There is an exemption there, nominal, and I used the word nominal and out of gratitude. Alam mo naman ang Pilipino, hindi naman ako basta magbubunganga,” said Duterte.

“Tapos si Leni talaga ‘kasi illegal and unconstitutional’ hay sabi ko ma’am kung ikaw ang mag Presidente ng Pilipinas paktay… you do not even read the book,” he added.

The President even made a joke, offering the Vice Presidential position to the audience.

On August, Duterte told the members of the Philippine National Police to not refuse the gifts being given to them by the people.

“Hindi ko kayo iipitin, basta ‘pag bigayan kayo eh tanggapin ‘nyo. It is not bribery…it cannot be bribery because it is allowed by law. What I mean, if there is generosity in them, sabi ng anti-graft [law] you cannot accept gifts? Kalokohan,” Duterte said.

Mayor Isko Moreno was happy to receive praise from President Rodrigo Duterte who said that the leader of Manila City is more skillful than him when it comes to managing his people.

In a media interview on Tuesday, President Duterte said that he watched how Moreno spoke to his people and find a solution in the problem of his city.

“Bilib ako sa kanya. Kaya nanonood ako ‘pag nagsasalita siya. Mas mahusay siya kaysa sakin, sa totoo lang.” said Duterte.

“May nakita akong mas mahusay ang resolve niya kaysa akin. Plus two ako sa kanya,” he added.

As a response, Moreno made a lengthy statement to thank the President, saying that the latter was the one who inspired him to become a hands-on Mayor.

You can read his whole statement below:

“Thank you for the kind words Mr. President but to be really honest, isa po kayo sa mga naging inspirasyon ko sa kung ano mang klase ng liderato na meron kami.

Naalala ko po nung lage akong nagagawi sa Davao nung araw. Di naman po lingid sa kaalaman ng karamihan, lalong lalo na yung mga taga Maynila na ako po ay naninigarilyo. Pero pag nasa Davao City po ako, takot na takot po akong manigarilyo dahil alam kung huhulihin ako.

In fact there was one time, galing po kami ng Tagum pabalik ng Davao City. Medyo dis oras na ng gabi pero biglang bumagal po ang takbo ng sasakyan namin so tinanong namin yung driver kung bakit. Simple lang yung sagot nya. “Kasi po nasa Davao City na tayo. Kahit gabi ho dito, may pulis man o wala, sumusunod po kami sa batas trapiko.”

So I think kung ano man ang nakikita nating pagpupursige ng mga alkalde sa buong Pilipinas, hindi lang po ako, ay reflection lamang ng klase ng liderato at Pangulo na meron tayo.

As I always say, it’s not the severity of punishment itself but the certainty of getting caught that deters a person from breaking the law.

So we owe it to you, Mr. President, for inspiring us and for becoming a good example to all of us.”

Moreno was appointed by President Duterte as Chairman of the Board of the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NorthRail) in 2017 and Undersecretary of Social Welfare and Development for Luzon Affairs in 2018 before running as Mayor of Manila City.

Many netizens compared Moreno to Duterte because of being strict when it comes to implementing the law of Manila City.

A netizen writes a lengthy open letter to trans woman Gretchen Diez who sparked the discussion on SOGIE equality bill after she was stopped by a janitress to use a public restroom designated for females in a mall in Quezon City several weeks ago.

In his social media post, netizen Pidz Cabrera told Diez that she chose to be a trans woman so why the latter is asking the other people to adjust for her.

Cabrera believes that Diez is pushing for special treatment at the expense of the rights of other people.

According to him, there are more people deserved to receive special treatment and attention than Diez, especially people with disabilities who didn’t choose to be in the first place.

You can read his post below:

“DEAL WITH IT…

Pinili mong maging iba, taliwas sa kondisyon kung paano ka pinanganak… Walang pumilit sayo, hindi ka pinuwersang mamuhay ng ganyan… Ikaw ang nagdesisyon na gawin yan, ikaw ang pumili. Ikaw.

Ngayon, bakit kailangan ibang tao ang mag adjust at mag adapt?. Bakit kailangan maghirap ang iba at maapektuhan ang pamumuhay ng marami para sa mabuhay ka ng komportable?

Hindi equality at acceptance gusto mo.. Special Treatment at the expense of others.
Masyado kang concious sa mga rights mo, kumusta naman rights and privacy ng iba?

Maraming tao pinanganak with special needs. Di nila pinili yun. Wala silang magagawa. They are born with disabilities. Walang taong gusto ipanganak ng bulag, lumpo o may kapansanan. I guess they are ones who need special treatment.

Hindi ikaw na pinanganak naman ng normal at maayos pero piniling mamuhay ng iba sa normal at sa estado ng iyong kapanganakan. Yours is not a disability but a lifestyle choice. Wala kang kapansanan. Hindi mo kailangan ng Special Treatment.

Expressing your self is ok. Being different is ok. Being true to your feelings is ok. Demanding equality and rights is ok. But remember, YOUR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES ARE LIMITED BY THE WAY THEY OBSTRUCT WITH THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.
DEAL WITH IT. YOU DECIDED TO LIVE THAT WAY. DEAL WITH IT…”

Several netizens reposted the open letter of Cabrera and one repost reached 75,000 shares on social media.

Atty. Jude Sabio who filed the complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte before the ICC is now changing his tune and now expressing his interest to testify against former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

In his column in the regional newspaper Mindanao Goldstar Daily, Sabio admitted the alleged involvement of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in the production of the controversial “Bikoy” videos aimed to destroy the reputation of President Rodrigo Duterte, the first family and other pro-administration politicians.

Peter Joemel Advincula claimed that he’s the hooded man on the Bikoy videos.

“In the meeting at the hotel lobby, I told Sen. Trillanes to refrain and desist from Bikoy, because it is just a trap, apart from the dire lack of funds even for the ongoing ICC case. Jo ann also told him: “Sir, wag mong itutuloy yan, babagsak ka nyan at di ka na makakabangon,” Sabio wrote in his column.

At first, Sabio was clueless that Trillanes was involved in the Bikoy videos, however, he realized the former Senator is possibly part of the said propaganda because they tried to recruit him as the lawyer of Peter Joemel Advincula.

ABS-CBN also contacted Jude Sabio and confirmed that he’s considering to testify against Trillanes over his involvement in producing the “Bikoy” videos.

During the interview, Sabio who’s having financial problems, claiming that Trillanes stopped sending monthly allowance to him which amounted to 50,000-100,000 pesos since the former Senator left his office.

Sabio takes offense at Trillanes' claim the then-senator was merely giving him "aid" insisting that the money he received were monthly retainers for professional services rendered in various cases. pic.twitter.com/vEj3FxF9Te

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) September 6, 2019

Sabio also revealed that Trillanes didn’t pay the 700,000 billing for his legal service to whistleblower Edgar Matobato who claimed that he’s part of President Duterte’s vigilante group.

According to him, he’s also having a hard time working as a lawyer after he filed an ICC complaint against President Duterte.

“Kailangan ko yung pera eh, 700,000 (pesos) para maka survive ako… paano ako maka recover nito? for the past two years, limitado ang movements ko… hindi ako makapag practice ng pagka abogado ko for a long time,” Sabio said.

EXCLUSIVE: Sabio admitted he had a falling out with Trillanes over a P700-thousand unpaid billing for his services to whistleblower Edgar Matobato. Says he needs the payment to survive because his legal practice had become limited after ICC filing. pic.twitter.com/7AiglYdXYO

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) September 6, 2019

However, Trillanes denied the accusations of Sabio, saying that the lawyer offered his service for free.

A netizen believes that President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Nicanor Faeldon to Bureau of Correction (BuCor) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) as part of his plan to unveil the corrupt practices in the said agencies.

On September 6, netizen Florvin Garcia made a statement claiming that Duterte is using Faeldon as a “lookout” to catch the bad guys in the government, saying that the former marine official is incorruptible.

According to Garcia, several Senators wanted Faeldon to disappear in public office because he revealed several corrupt practices allegedly involving high profile politicians.

Garcia even claimed that President Duterte is really planning to make the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) controversy to be discussed by the media so the people would find out who are the people architected the said law.

He said that fixing the GCTA law will be in favor of the President in the future.

The netizen also said that Senator Leila De Lima is one of the people who would be affected by the GCTA law, however, she’s only detained and still investigated for the charges filed against her.

You can read his whole post below:

Corrupt ba si Faeldon?

Ang sagot ko hindi. Kasi alam ni Pres. Duterte na seryoso at tapat si Faeldon magtrabaho. Kaya ginamit niya ito na look-out sa BOC para malaman nya saan at kanino nanggagaling ang malalaking shipment ng kontrabando at kung ano pa ang ibat-ibang uri ng illegal na gawain sa BOC. In short, kung may corruption ba sa BOC.

Nabisto ni Faeldon lahat kaya ito gustong ipaalis ng Mga Senador sa BOC especially si Lacson kasi pinakailaman ni Faeldon ang smuggling of cement and other construction product na walang tamang Tax at Papel na nakapangalan sa anak ni Lacson.

Pangalawa inilipat ni Pres. Duterte si Faeldon sa BUCOR. Assuming nilang pinagplanohan lahat na mag-ingay tungkol sa Pagpapalabas kai Sanchez. Kinagat ni Lacson at ang mga Bias na Media.

Ang di nila alam na ang binabatikos nilang Batas na GCTA ay ang may akda ay ang mga senador na si de lima at pirmado ng LP senators, Kasama si Lacson, at Isinabatas ni PNOY. Di ano ngayon parang Gagohan lang. So nagdebate sa Senado at Congreso tungkol sa GCTA. Parang ang daming problema. Ngayon ang batas ay walang Bisa na.

Heto ang trick dyan. Since ang GCTA ay questionable, malaki ang porsyento na hindi na makalabas lahat ng convict, si de lima at ang mga taong corrupt na makukulong ngayong taon o sa mga susunod na taon pa. Si Faeldon naman tetistigo sa Kasong rebellion kontra kai Trillanes. Pag na kulong bulok sa kulungan. Ang Korte sa Manila RTC naglabas na ng warrant para sa lahat ng myembro ng CPP-NDF- NPA specially kai Joma at sa 36 leaders nito. Pagnakulong wala ng GCTA.

Bingo si Duterte. Si Faeldon lang pala ang makaCheckmate sa lahat.

As of writing, the post of Garcia which garnered thousands of reactions and shares has been deleted on his social media account.

Senate President Tito Sotto asked a question to his followers, amid the criticisms he received on social media because of his stance on SOGIE equality bill.

In a twitter post, Sotto asked if a trans woman can be eligible to take maternity leave like a biological female.

Maternity leave is a 105-day paid leave given to working mothers so they could rest and take care of the newborn child.

“Can a man who feels he is a woman apply for maternity leave to be equal to biological women?” Sotto twitted.

Can a man who feels he is a woman apply for maternity leave to be equal to biological women?

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) September 5, 2019

Sotto said in another interview that SOGIE bill would give disadvantage to real women.

“If you are a man, you will never be a woman, no matter what you do, because you cannot reproduce. You cannot give birth; you do not have ovaries. You will never be a woman. So this, to me, the SOGIE bill is a bill against women’s rights, and it’s giving transgender rights,” he said.

He also said that SOGIE bill is unconstitutional because it’s against “women’s rights, academic freedom, and religious freedom”.

The Senator is known for expressing his opposition against SOGIE bill which became a hot topic after a trans woman was blocked from using a restroom designated for female.

He even said that SOGIE bill has no chance to pass the Senate.