LGBT+ people are welcome to join the Philippine Army so long as they promise to “behave themselves”

"We are reminding them that they need to act and behave with dignity and with proper care to the uniform.”

Potential LGBT+ recruits have been told they must "act with dignity" in the armed forces. Source: EPA

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is hoping to enlist 10,000 new recruits by the end of 2017 and has encouraged members of the LGBT+ community to sign up, according to ABS CBN.  

Colonel Edgard Arevalo—the AFP Chief of Public Affairs—has promised that LGBT+ recruits would not face any prejudice.

“Are we not going to discriminate them? The answer is no. The AFP is not going to discriminate against them. Please feel free to apply and enter the Armed Forces,” says Arevalo.

However, despite stating that the LGBT+ community would be a great asset to the army, Arevalo also mentioned that they would have to follow certain rules.

“The moment that they apply and get accepted in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we are reminding them that they need to act and behave with dignity and with proper care to the uniform.”

The controversial President of the Philippines—Rodrigo Duterte—was recently criticised for describing the US Ambassador to the Philippines— Philip Goldberg — as “gay” and the “son of a whore”.