ORANI, Bataan, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – As latest election results show an impending senatorial victory for Congresssman and boxer Manny Pacquiao, the same results show the Philippines’ first transgender lawmaker candidate all but winning a seat in Congress.

Geraldine Roman has clearly won the congressional seat in her district of Orani, Bataan, north of the Philippines.

Already, Pacquiao is looking forward to occupying a new office in the Senate Building in Manila, while Roman is excited to do the same for her new office in the Congress Building in Quezon City.

The Adobo Chronicles has learned that Roman had requested that she occupy the same office that will be vacated by Pacquiao.

“It will be symbolic of the triumph of the LGBT community over the boxer who recently compared gay men and women to “worse than animals.” Pacquiao’s comments came as he reiterated his position against same-sex marriage.

Roman said one of the first things she will do upon arriving in congress is to re-decorate Pacquiao’s former office and to advocate for the construction of a gender-netural bathroom inside the congress building.

MARIKINA CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Last week, we told you about Geraldine Roman who is poised to become the first transgender congresswoman of the Philippines.

Now, gird your loins! Here comes a young, new and gay (that’s how he describes himself in his campaign posters) candidate for city councilor, representing the second district of Marikina. His name is Erick Habijan.

He totally rocks, as you can see in his video — which is not even his campaign video.

Unfortunately, you can’t vote for him unless you’re voting in Marikina.

But a future first openly-gay Philippine president perhaps?

College professor, TV writer, actor, singer, dancer, confident, knows what he wants and knows what he can do.  What more can you ask for?

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – While debate rages in the United States over anti-transgender legislation such as those recently passed in North Carolina and Mississippi, the Congress of the Philippines has begun the construction of a gender-neutral bathroom (called “comfort room” in the Philippines).

The move is to accommodate Geraldine Roman who is expected to win in Monday’s elections to be the first transgender lawmaker in the country.

Only one other country — Poland — has elected a transgender woman as member of Parliament. Her name is Anna Grodzka and she plans to run for president some day.

Roman comes from a family of politcians. Her mother is currently her hometown district’s (Orani, Bataan) congressional representative but the older Roman is termed out.

While the “macho” congressmen and the Catholic Church in the Philippines may not exactly be welcoming of Roman, they have to respect the will of the people.

It wasn’t clear whether Roman would be allowed to personally decorate the new congressional bathroom.

Her election would be a big boost to the country’s LGBT community.  She has campaigned on a platform of anti-discrimination.