THE Supreme Court (SC) has junked with finality a petition that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage in the country.
In a resolution dated December 10, 2019 but was only released Monday, January 6, 2020, the SC en banc said “no substantial arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned decision.”
The SC, on September 3, 2019, junked lawyer Jesus Nicardo Falcis III’s petition that asked the court to declare as unconstitutional a portion of the Family Code of the Philippines — Articles 1 and 2 — that limits marriage as “between man and woman.”
Falcis also asked the court to nullify Articles 46(4) and 55(6), which state that a marriage can be annulled on the grounds of homosexuality or lesbianism.
In its original decision, the SC said the petitioner failed to raise actual and justiciable controversy and there was lack of standing with regards to Falcis as petitioner.
Falcis then filed the motion for reconsideration.
But the SC en banc, in junking the motion, said it will no longer entertain further pleadings or motions on the matter.
The notice of the final decision was signed by Edgar Aricheta, clerk of court. (LMY/SunStar Philippines)