Gabriela Women's Partylist Representative and Senate aspirant Arlene Brosas pledged to continue advocating for marginalized sectors such as women, children, and the LGBTQ community while working towards addressing the nation’s pressing issues if elected to the Senate.
"Ang nararapat na maging kandidato at makapunta sana sa Senado ay ‘yung mga katulad natin na matagal nang naglingkod, women and children's advocate, LGBTQ advocate, at tayo ay nagpasa ng mga progressive laws," Brosas said during the Bakit Ikaw: The DZRH Job Interview on Tuesday.
"Tayo ay nakipagtalo sa mga anti-people na mga panukala. Bukod doon, tayo rin ay naglingkod sa bayan sa loob at labas ng Kongreso," she added.
Brosas, who served three terms in Congress, is now eyeing a Senate seat to continue advocating for the respect and representation of all sectors of society.
Furthermore, she believes that the existing laws protecting women remain insufficient, despite the presence of highly beneficial legislation. She highlighted several laws that her group advocated for, including the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, the Solo Parents Welfare Act, and the Safe Spaces Act.
"Tapos siguro ‘yung isa pa sa naipasa naming mahalaga [is] ‘yung Anti-Rape Law amendments," said Brosas.
"Nag-amyenda po tayo diyan, binaba natin ‘yung act raising the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years old," she added.
Facing the country’s most urgent issues head-on
Brosas emphasized that the struggles of women in the country are no different from other major issues the nation is currently grappling with, such as the rising prices of basic commodities.
One of the key initiatives pushed by Gabriela, she stated, is to lower the prices of goods by removing the Value-Added Tax and Excise Tax on oil, noting that this would lead to an automatic reduction in prices.
Furthermore, their efforts include pushing for a decrease in rice prices, but the Rice Tariffication Law has made this challenging. Consequently, they recommend repealing the law.
"Talagang kailangang i-change ang policy ng government, hindi iyan magbabago kung ang pag-iisip ng mga nasa posisyon ngayon ay importasyon ang solusyon," she added.
No charges or punishments despite extensive congressional inquiries
Brosas emphasized that before those at fault can be held accountable, sufficient evidence must first be established.
She noted that individuals summoned to congressional hearings on various issues were never charged, stressing that the public must demand real accountability and not allow these efforts to be merely performative.
"Isang bahagi ‘yung paglalantad, isang bahagi ‘yung pagpapanagot. Sa usapin ng pagpapanagot, nakukulang sa ngayon," said Brosas.
Efforts to combat early pregnancy and promote awareness
Meanwhile, Brosas believes that Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) can help address the rising incidence of early pregnancies, especially if effectively communicated to women and the youth.
She further emphasized the need to tackle this issue, asserting that it is largely driven by the poverty many Filipinos endure.
"Sexuality education talaga ang kailangan at ‘yung panukala kung paano ‘yun ginagawa sa school, kailangan natin iyon tignan kung paano ito itinuturo," said Brosas.
"Hindi po pwede ‘yung current na kung ano-ano ‘yung hinuhula ng mga tao na laman nung curriculum," she added.
Brosas stressed that the primary focus should be on protecting women's health, highlighting the need for government programs to address and reduce the harmful situations women are subjected to.
"Ang nakabuntis ay pwedeng ibigay sa DSWD at kailangan siyang i-counseling pero hindi naman kaso unless rape kung magkakaso ng privately ang family...We should also educate iyong mga magulang," Brosas explained.
SOGIE and same-sex marriage
Brosas underscored the importance of passing the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, emphasizing that it is not about granting privileges but about ensuring respect and equal rights for all, particularly the LGBTQIA+ community.
"Kung gusto mo talaga ng anti-discrimination law, dapat ipasa ang SOGIE bill," she added.
Meanwhile, she expressed her support for same-sex marriage but acknowledged that it will likely take a long time before such a law is enacted.
Viewpoint on the issue of red-tagging
The senatorial candidate referred to those who red-tag them as "detractors" but stressed that red-tagging must be taken seriously, as such accusations put their lives in danger.
"Yung life and security namin ang under threat everytime na ginagawa sa amin ‘yon," said Brosas.
"Sabi ng supreme court, bawal iyan [red tagging]. Hindi dapat ginagawa ‘yan," she added.
"Bakit ikaw?"
The women's advocate reaffirmed that she has no record of corruption and has never been involved in any wrongdoing during her tenure as a public servant.
She further emphasized that their group is not disrespectful; rather, they are fighting against those who are corrupt and disrespectful within the government.
"Mayroon tayong malinaw na plataporma, demokratiko po ang ating isusulong at ang lahat ng mga representasyon ay igagalang natin," she said in closing.
