Senatorial aspirant former Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza answers questions during the Harapan 2025 interview series at the ABS-CBN Compound on January 21, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Anti-corruption crusader and senatorial candidate Heidi Mendoza is trying to win back the support of the LGBTQIA+ community after she said in a recent forum that she does not favor passage of a same-sex marriage law in the Philippines.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mendoza said she would "not stand in the way of same-sex unions becoming law."

Mendoza in the post offered apologies as she acknowledged that she had issued statements that were "hurtful" and "disappointing."

She also said: "To those who continue to question, challenge, and call me in, I hear you. I will continue to listen. And I will not ask you to wait in silence while I grow."

WHAT SHE SAID

Mendoza, a former Commission on Audit commissioner and undersecretary general of the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, stressed in the campaign forum that while every person has the right to love, true love knows how to honor and respect institutions.

Same-sex marriage legislation, she added, could clash with the nation's Family Code, which states that marriage is a union between a man and a woman.

She also said there is no need for same-sex marriage to solve the problems LGBTQIA+ couples face concerning health insurance. She said these can be remedied by crafting internal policies with the insurance firms.

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'PUBLIC OFFICE NOT ABOUT PERSONAL BELIEFS'

Same-sex marriage has long been a particularly controversial topic in the deeply Catholic Philippines, where even the anti-discrimination SOGIESC Equality Bill has yet to become law and has raised concerns over freedom of religion.

Mendoza said that while she would not change her beliefs overnight, she acknowledged that "[p]ublic office is not about enforcing personal beliefs. It is about upholding the rights, dignity, and safety of all Filipinos."

"My job is not to impose personal doctrine. It is to serve justice," she said.

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She vowed to collaborate with LGBTQIA+ organizations and human rights groups in crafting policies "grounded in lived realities, not just theoretical ideals."

She said she would deepen her understanding of "inclusive policy-making" to ensure "every Filipino, regardless of gender identity or orientation, has equal access to education, employment, healthcare, and safety."

Mendoza also addressed those who share her faith "to walk with me as we build a country where justice is not conditional, and where no one has to choose between safety and identity."

'WILLING TO LISTEN'

Last month, a social media card produced by a university publication made the rounds online as it indicated the "qualified no" stance of Mendoza on the SOGIESC Equality Bill.

After meeting with content creator Sassa Gurl — a prominent LGBTQIA+ voice on social media — to discuss the bill, Mendoza clarified in a post on X that her "qualified no is not a no."

She said she was willing to listen, learn more about the SOGIESC Bill, and "take a deeper look" into its provisions.

Many members of the LGBTQIA+ community have expressed support for Mendoza for her anti-corruption platform and stellar background in public service but her stance on queer issues has been a source of apprehension for some of them.

After Mendoza issued her statement on same-sex marriage, some LGBTQIA+ voters, including Sassa Gurl, said on social media that they were withdrawing their support for her.

Others said they stood by her.

"I know that for many of you, my stance on marriage feels like a contradiction to the principle of pantay na karapatan (equal rights). And I understand why," Mendoza said in her statement on Thursday.

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