Phillipine president wants to change same-sex marriage laws
Manila — Firebrand President Rodrigo Duterte has said he wants same-sex marriage legalised in the Philippines, a move that would bring him into conflict with the dominant Roman Catholic Church. Duterte, a longtime critic of the church which counts about 80% of Filipinos as followers, made the remarks in a speech before the LGBT community in his southern home city of Davao late on Sunday. "I want same-sex marriage. The problem is we’ll have to change the law. But we can change the law," he said to wide applause. "The law says marriage is a union between a man and a woman. I don’t have any problems making it marrying a man, marrying a woman or whatever is the predilection of the human being," he added. Divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are still illegal in the Philippines due largely to the influence of the Catholic Church. But Duterte, who took office in mid-2016, has actively attacked the church, accusing the clergy of sexual abuses and hypocrisy. The church, in turn, has been...
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