Ka Jose and Ka Andres were widely recognized as the first couple to have a same-sex wedding in the Philippines.
Although it was not a legally recognized union in the Philippines, Andres and Jose, an NPA couple, were married in southern Mindanao in 2005, making it the first known Filipino same-sex wedding. Although they were not granted a license, Maria Arlyn Ibanez and Joanne Reena Gregorio made the first attempt at a same-sex marriage in a Philippine civil registry in 2015. Due to the Philippines' lack of legal recognition for same-sex unions, many other Filipino couples have chosen to get married overseas or in private ceremonies.
On the island of Mindanao, in the Compostela Valley province, Ka Jose and Ka Andres were married in a historic ceremony in February 2005. A 1998 Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) document that approved of same-sex relationships made this possible.
Throughout the "wedding," the couple's shoulders were adorned with a CPP flag. The couple exchanged vows, signed a "wedding contract," and were congratulated by their community. Instead of exchanging wedding rings, the two exchanged bullets to symbolize their dedication to the armed struggle. A chorus performed revolutionary love songs, and local peasants and comrades were there.
The ceremony demonstrated how closely the couple's personal love and their political and revolutionary commitment inside the NPA are intertwined.
A few years after the wedding, the couple split up, according to a 2010 MindaNews story. According to reports, Ka Jose deserted the rebel movement after Ka Andres (Val Mente) passed away from a rat-borne illness.
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