Gay men on the rebound

Ang Ladlad (formerly Ang Lunduyan) is the national network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Filipinos, of which I am the founding chair. One of our jobs is to help LGBT Filipinos who have been victims of discrimination, sexual harassment, or persecution. We give them counseling and legal help, as well as moral support so that the ends of justice can be served. In short, we are committed to sending homophobes to jail.

One such instance is the case of Ruvic Rea, a transgender. Following the accepted Associated Press stylebook that refers to a person’s gender following his or her preference, I will call Ruvic a "she." A former Miss Gay Quezon who served as president of the Tayabas Gay Society for six years, she was first elected a barangay councilman at the age of 21. At age 28, she was elected as the barangay chairperson of Barangay Angeles, Zone 4, Tayabas, Quezon in 2001. She is the youngest village chief in the history of Tayabas and an elected director of the Tayabas Association of Barangay Captains. She also runs a bar-restaurant called Café Estefano in Lucban.

But as they say, there are worms even in paradise. Ruvic has filed a complaint against municipal councilor Casiano "Sonny" Venzuela and Association of Barangay Captains president Gregorio "Gunying" V. Agapaya. Both are from Lucban, Quezon – and both men are at large.

In her complaint, Ruvic accused Venzuela and Agapay of the crime of "acts of lasciviousness" defined and penalized under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code. In a sworn statement, Ruvic said: "That on or about 9 in the evening of January 19, 2006, at My Bar and Restaurant located at Miramonte Subdivision, Barangay Tinamnan, Lucban, Quezon, the above-named accused – conspiring, confederating, and mutually helping one another – did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously with lewd design sexually molested one barangay captain Ruvic Rea y Gabiana of Barangay Angeles, Tayabas, Quezon, by means of force and intimidation, embraced, kissed and mashed the vital sexual parts of the victim’s body, taking advantage/liberties against the will of the victim. Both accused, being elected public officials of Lucban, Quezon, further aggravates the offense as charged."

The complaint was approved for filing by Henry Lasig Ohagan, police inspector and chief of police and by Dexter Apolinar Villalon, police officer 2 and investigator. Ruvic’s medical certificate is attached as evidence, and the witnesses include Dr. Victorino Q. Arana, municipal health officer, Lucban, Quezon.

That is the first salvo. The second salvo is an administrative complaint for grave misconduct and abuse of authority Ruvic filed against Venzuela and Agapay before the chairman, the Committee on Good Government, Sangguniang Panlalawigan in Lucena City, Quezon. The meeting for this case was held last March 16, 2006, and Ruvic happily informed me that the two police officers of Lucban, Quezon, came with him and testified as to the veracity of his complaint.

Corollary to this case, Ruvic claims that a few months ago, Lucban Municipal Planning and Development Council chief Danilo Oblenas asked her not to pursue his case against the two councilors. Oblenas allegedly said that if Ruvic drops the case, then she can continue with her bar-restaurant business in Lucban. Ruvic flatly said "no."

And so last Jan. 26, Oblenas wrote Ruvic a letter asking her to secure a business permit for her bar-restaurant. The letter was signed not just by Oblenas but also by Mayor Moises Villasenor. Ruvic said that she was denied a barangay clearance because her bar-restaurant violates a municipal ordinance since it is located in front of the Southern Luzon Polytechnic College. Ruvic claims that the other bars-restaurants in front of the college also do not have business permits; in fact, even local politicians freely go to these places. Why, she sighs, are they singling her out?

Ruvic said that some men barged into her café, ransacked its contents without making an inventory, then padlocked it. The next night, burglars were able to enter the restaurant – even if it was padlocked – and her things were either stolen or destroyed. She narrates: "Many of my personal things were inside the café. Now, they are gone. I decided to file another case, this time against the mayor, for illegal padlocking. Afterward, I had to move to Tayabas, Quezon, because I am getting death threats. But you know, Danton, hindi ako susuko kahit nauubos na ang savings ko. Buo ang desisyon ko dahil gusto kong ipakita sa mayor at councilor na hindi totoo ang sinasabi nila na puro kalandian lang ang alam ng mga bakla (I won’t give up even though my savings are getting depleted. I’m firm in my decision because I want to show the mayor and the councilor that what they said that the only thing gays know hot do is to flirt is untrue.)"

Moreover, Ruvic said that she is having a hard time finding a lawyer for her cases because even the lawyers are allegedly wary of incurring the ire of the powers-that-be. For our part, Ang Ladlad assured Ruvic that we will find her a lawyer in Quezon – or even send her one – once the cases prosper in court. I’ve met with Rainbow Rights Inc., a group of lawyers that give help to LGBT cases. I will also confer with our friends in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines so we can coordinate proper legal representation for Ruvic.

It seems that 2006 is really a banner year for LGBT advocacy, helped in no small measure by popular culture. The roaring success of Brokeback Mountain, Rustom Padilla’s coming out on TV, and the almost fortnightly features devoted to LGBTs seem to prove that we are no longer in the closet. We are now in the center of the room.

And when the party-list elections for Congress come in May 2007 – or the elections for Members of Parliament come in June 2007 – you might see us there, tangling with the net of politics, with our signature wit, beauty, and humor.

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Comments can be sent to danton.lodestar@gmail.com