By Ben R. Rosario
There were no objections so far against the bill proposing to recognize the civil partnership of same-sex couples and granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples in the adoption of children, social security, insurance, and inheritance through intestate rights.
At the launching of the public hearings for House Bill 6595, various government and non-government organizations backed the legislative proposal authored by House officials led by Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez.
HB 6595 or the proposed Civil Partnership Act proposes to provide civil rights, benefits, and responsibilities to couples previously unable to marry, by giving them recognition and protection from the State.
“It protects civil partnership couples by penalizing unlawful and discriminatory practices committed by persons or institutions against them on the basis of their civil partnership status,” authors said.
HB 6596 is clearly a bill that allows same-sex couples to enjoy nearly all civil partnership rights that, under the law, are limited only to legally married heterosexual couples.
House leaders have apparently come up with such measure overcome the strong objection of the Catholic Church against previous proposals for the legalization of same-sex marriages.
