HOUSE PANEL OKs BILL
AGAINST SEX AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION
The Committee on
Women and Gender Equality in the House of Representatives approved the bill
that aims to eliminate discriminatory practices based on sex, sexual
orientation or gender identity by proscribing and penalizing discriminatory
practices.
“It is a basic right
of every person, whether they are bisexual, homosexual, or heterosexual, to be
free from any form of discrimination. As a representative of a marginalized
group in Congress and as a woman, I support House Bill 5687 and I push for
equal opportunity for all,” said AAMBIS-Owa Party list Representative Sharon
Garin, one of the sponsors of the measure.
Just last Saturday
night, Valkyrie, a high-end lounge and bar in Taguig City drew flak from
netizens and known personalities after the bar denied entry to transgender
fashion designer Veejay Floresca. Concerned netizens asserted that the incident
was a clear case of gender discrimination.
If HB 5687 becomes
the Anti- SOGI Discrimination Act, it shall be unlawful for employers to
include sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as the disclosure of
sexual orientation, in the criteria for hiring, promotion, transfer, work
assignment, dismissal of workers, and other human resource movement and other
terms and conditions of employment.
Schools are not to
refuse admission or expel a person from any educational or training institution
on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Any person shall not
be denied access to public or private medical and other health services open to
the general public on the basis of such person's sexual orientation or gender
identity.
Government shall
ensure that no one will be denied of a professional license, clearance,
certification or any other similar document issued by the government due to the
applicant's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Harassment by members
of institutions involved in the enforcement of law and the protection of rights
of any person on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity shall be
met with a penalty
Any person who
commits any SOGI-related discriminatory practice shall be penalized by a fine
of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000) and / or imprisonment of
not less than one (1) year but not more than six (6) years, at the discretion
of the court.
In addition, the
court may impose upon a person found to have committed any of the prohibited
acts the rendition of community service in terms of attendance in human rights
education’s familiarization with and exposure to the plight of the victims.
If a graver
offense motivated by bias, prejudice, or
hatred against sexual orientation or gender identity is committed, such shall
be meted the corresponding maximum penalties depending upon the severity of the
offenses.
Once the bill becomes
a law, the Women and Children’s Desks now existing in all police stations,
shall also act on and attend to complaints covered by the Anti-SOGI Act.
Policemen manning
those desks shall undergo appropriate trainings with human rights-based
approach to include among others gender sensitivity and awareness in proper
terminology, dynamics of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
relationships and hate crime investigations.
In crafting the
measure, women’s groups, LGBT communities, business groups, members of the
academe, other stakeholders, and government officials were consulted for months
by the Women and Gender Equality Committee chaired by Bulacan 4th District
Representative Linabelle Ruth Villarica. /MP
