He stated that the law, which determines that only two people of the opposite sex can marry each other, is unconstitutional. The SC denied the request due to mainly procedural reasons. In a press release, the court stated that it recognised the discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community, but that the matter of same-sex marriage should be settled in parliament. The court also concluded that the constitution "does not define, or restrict, marriage on the basis of… sexual orientation, or gender identity". So, if Filipinos want to open up marriage for couples of the same sex, they should do that through their representatives in parliament.

The role that the president of the country, Rodrigo Duerte, may play in the matter is unsure. In the past, he made various statements opposing as well as supporting same-sex marriage. Recently he admitted that he was “a bit gay”, until he supposedly cured himself. In 2016, he also called the U.S. ambassador a “gay son of a bitch”.

The Philippines are known to be one of the most gay-friendly countries in eastern Asia. According to Pew Research Center, almost three quarters of the population are positive about the acceptance of homosexuals.