MANILA, Philippines – Speaking at the podium during a Senate session on Wednesday, February 8, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva paused to grab a plastic bag sitting on a chair next to him. From the bag, he pulled out piles of paper, which he struggled to hold with both hands. He told his colleagues that these were all letters from “concerned religious groups,” sent to his office to protest the proposed Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression, and Sex Characteristics Equality Act, better known as the SOGIE bill. “I can’t even bring them all here, Madam President, because there’s too many,” he told the Senate. He then complained about being “bullied and crucified” by some groups who were not happy that the chamber held only one hearing on the controversial measure.