MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva maintains he is not blocking debates on the passage of the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression or Sex Characteristics bill in the Senate. 

Villanueva said he has friends from the LGBT community who tell him they do not need it.

"Doon sa mga nagsasabing si Joel Villanueva ang dahilan, bakit 'di niyo kausapin 'yung mga senador? Bakit 'di niyo kausapin ang majority ng miyembro ng Senado at sabihing ilabas 'yan at doon dalhin sa plenaryo, because I have no problems debating with it. I have no problems raising the issues that I wanted to raise and the dangers of passing this very controversial measure," Villanueva said. 

"I have nothing against LGBT. I will say it again I am very, very close to a lot of the members of the LGBT community. Halos 'yung ilan sa kanila, once every 2 weeks, once every every month nakakasama ko, nakaka-fellowship ko, nakakatawanan ko, nakakadaupang palad ko, and I would say na I'm very na kaibigan ko sila."

(Those saying that I am blocking it, why don't you talk to the majority of the Senate and tell them to debate it in the plenary because I have no problem with that. I have no problem debating the dangers of passing this measure. I am very close to a lot of LGBT.)

"Most if not all of them are saying, wala silang deperensiya. 'Di kami kailangang bigyan ng very, very, very, very important treatment, sapagkat we just wanted equality and I agree with them and all of us deserve equality," Villanueva said.

(Most of them tell me they don't need VIP treatment, they just want equality.)

The Senate website lists the bill's legislative status as Pending Second Reading in the Calendar of Ordinary Business as of December 7, 2022 and referred to the Committee on Rules for further study on February 8, 2023.

Villanueva explained that was the will of the majority back then.

"The majority wanted to talk it over and there are serious concerns raised by a lot of sectors who were not invited so again to cut the story short....so then go to the majority of the members and ask them to act on it." Villanueva explained.

For his part,  Senate President Francis Escudero believes the SOGIESC Equality Bill face difficulty  getting the Senate's nod unless its advocates agree to some amendments.

READ: Chiz says SOGIE bill must be amended first to get Senate approval

"Sa pagkakaalam ko, may mga panukalang amendment dito sa bill na ito bago ito tuluyang mapasa. pero sa kwentuhan din bago pa man ako naging tagapangulo ng Senado, mas malaki ang tsansa makapasa ng ant-discrimination kumpara sa SOGIESC bill, unless nga yung mga amendments ay mapagbibigyan," Escudero told media. 

(As far as I know, even before I became Senate President the anti discrimination bill will have an easier time getting approved unless the SOGIESC bill is amended.)

"Partikular sa pagkakaalala ko ito'y may kinalaman sa 'ika nga panghihimasok naman sa indibidwal na opinyon ng ibang mga tao na taliwas o di sang-ayon sa opinyon naman ng iba kaugnay ng SOGIE bill na dapat galangin rin yun," Escudero explained.

(Specifically there must be respect for those who hold a different opinion on SOGIESC.)

Senate Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality Chair Risa Hontiveros urges the new Senate Leadership to approve the bill which has languished before the full Senate since December 2022.

Hontiveros points out more than a majority of the Senate has supported the bill.

"That should speak to its acceptability across the aisle. I have asked the Majority Leader to look into the committee report which has remained pending in the Committee on Rules and he has promised to do so. Sana ang bagong liderato ng Senado ay tumindig para sa ating LGBTQIA+ community ngayong Pride Month at pati na rin sa araw-araw nilang pamumuhay bilang mga tao."

The Committee on Rules was then chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva as Majority Leader. Villanueva was replaced by Senator Francis Tolentino after the Senate picked Senator Francis Escudero as its new President 2 weeks ago. The powerful committee decides on the agenda of the chamber.

Aside from Hontiveros, the other Senators who signed the Committee Report are: Senators Sonny Angara, Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, Ronald dela Rosa, Grace Poe, Mark Villar, Tolentino, JV Ejercito, Robin Padilla, Raffy Tulfo, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla, Jr, Escudero, Lito Lapid, Aquilino Pimentel III, and Loren Legarda.

Dela Rosa, Poe, Tolentino, and Pimentel signed but noted they may amend or interpellate.

Villanueva is the son of Jesus is Lord Movement leader Brother Eddie Villanueva.