WeDpro, Inc. A feminist collective working for women’s empowerment

An Open Letter to COMELEC

The decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to bar Ang Ladlad from being accredited as a party-list organization and run for office in the 2010 elections is one of the most absurd, unintelligent, unfair and discriminatory actions this institution has ever undertaken in recent times.

I remember that the first time Ang Ladlad applied for accreditation and was eventually denied, COMELEC posted the reason that it was not sure whether the LGBT organization had adequate membership. Now, its reason is about Ang Ladlad being a moral threat to the youth and to society. Isn't this blatant discrimination that violates all international standards of human rights to which the Philippine Government has affixed its signature? Is the COMELEC above international standards and the Philippine Government's accountability to the United Nations?

I am glad that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) headed by Atty. Leila Delima has taken up the cudgels for Ang Ladlad. Since the CHR itself sees the illegitimacy of the COMELEC'S decision, how could COMELEC be right?

The various forms of protest over this uninformed and biased decision of COMELEC have drawn together various personalities, organizations and social movements together -- "straight" and gays/lesbians/transgenders and persons of different sexuality orientations -- to expose the bankcruptcy of COMELEC'S action. While in other countries, homosexuals have been elected to office and taken on prime decision-making positions, the Philippines is sliding back to medieval times when anything that is not the "norm" of the ruling elite is punished, banished, destroyed.

The COMELEC is the body that draws up policies so that citizens of this country can exercise their rightful duty to participate in electoral processes as duly authorized by the Constitution. By non-accreditation of Ang Ladlad, -- and accreditation of dubious pary-list groups, including groups of human rights violators, rapists, goons and criminals -- COMELEC has merely exposed its bigoted moral values, worse, its non-existent moral ascendancy to continue exercising its mandate. It lacks the credibility, therefore, to even question Ang Ladlad's integrity as not only an organization of LGBTs, but as an organization of marginalized, discriminated and silenced sectors of the population.

COMELEC must heed the call of the people. COMELEC must accredit Ang Ladlad. COMELEC must abide by the human rights standards to which it is accountable as part of Government. COMELEC must end its discriminatory policies.

Peace and enlightenment upon you, Commissioners Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph.

WeDpro, Inc.

Ref:
Aida F. Santos
Chairperson, Board of Directors