Anti-discrimination

Senate Bill No. 683: Anti-Discrimination Act

The Bill of Rights in the 1987 Constitution guarantees equal protection for every Filipino, and prohibits discrimination of persons based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief, political inclinations, social class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, civil status, medical condition, or any other status in the enjoyment of rights. The fundamental law also declares that the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights (Section 11, Article II, 1987 Constitution). It also imposes on the State the duty to ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men (Sec. 14, Id.).

In addition, the Philippines is a signatory to numerous international agreements that seek to ensure respect for the human rights of all persons regardless of ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, civil status, medical condition, or any other status. These international human rights instruments have consistently been interpreted by international institutions, such as the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Unfortunately, reality has yet to catch up with the noble intentions of these numerous laws and international agreements. In schools, workplaces, commercial establishments, public service, police and the military, prejudicial practices and policies based on sexual orientation and gender and cultural identity limit the exercise and enjoyment of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.

We still see, for instance, employment practices that prioritize single over married job applicants; or other cultural practices that suppress an individual’s right to practice his or her religion, faith, or cultural belief. Many Filipinos in indigenous communities have yet to be fully integrated into the workforce; ignorance about their cultural practices often leads to stigma and marginalization.

Moreover, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) community continues to be oppressed by the iniquitous treatment of society at large, primarily because of misconceptions and ignorance. LGBT students, for instance, are refused admission or expelled from schools due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Companies block the promotion of LGBT employees due to the deeply embedded notion that homosexuality is an indication of weakness. Laws such as the anti-vagrancy law are also abused by law enforcement agencies to harass gay men.

In a democratic society that claims to give equal access and opportunity to each of its citizens, many Filipinos are still treated as “second-class citizens” when they try to exercise the rights to which they are rightfully entitled.  

There is, therefore, an urgent need to define and penalize practices that unjustly discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, civil status, medical condition, or any other status. In view of the foregoing, and of the need to correct the long-standing discrimination against marginalized communities in Philippine society, the early passage of this bill is earnestly urged.


PDFicon DOWNLOAD SBN 683

BIDA KA!: Tapusin na ang hate crimes

Mga Bida, sari-sari ang mga lumitaw na opinyon at panukala kasunod ng karumal-dumal na pagpatay kay Jennifer Laude sa Olongapo City kamakailan. Sigaw ng iba, ibasura na ang Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) dahil sa probisyon nito na nagbibigay ng karapatan sa Estados Unidos na kunin ang kustodiya ng mga sundalo nilang nasangkot sa krimen sa Pilipinas.

Ang iba naman, hiniling sa pamahalaan na ipilit na makuha ang kustodiya kay PFC Joseph Scott Pemberton, ang suspect sa pagpatay kay Laude.

Ngunit, tingnan din natin ang isyu ng hate crime laban sa lesbian, gay, bisexual at transgender (LGBT) community.

Ang pagpatay kay Jennifer ay bunsod ng hate crime na umiiral sa ating lipunan.

Ang hate crime ay karahasan na ginagawa sa mga minority groups o marginalized na sektor ng ating lipunan, tulad sa mga indigenous people o sa kasong ito, sa ating lesbian, gay, bisexual at transgender community.

Sa ulat ng Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch, mayroong 164 na miyembro ng LGBTs sa bansa ang pinatay mula 1996 hanggang Hunyo 2012.

Sa ginawa namang pag-aaral ng UN Development Program at ng US Agency for International Development noong 2011, may 28 kaso ng pagpatay na may kinalaman sa lesbian, gay, bisexual at transgender community.

Ngayong taon pa lang, may 14 na transgender na ang pinatay bunsod ng hate crime, ayon sa Transgender Association of the Philippines.

Nakakabahala ang mga detalyeng ito dahil sa panahon nga­yon, wala nang lugar ang hate crime sa isang sibilisadong lipunan.

***

Sa ibang mga bansa, itinulak na nila ang pagsasabatas ng anti-hate crimes upang sawatahin ang ganitong uri ng karahasan.

Sa Estados Unidos, ang unang mga batas na may kinalaman sa hate crime ay ipinasa pagkatapos ng American Civil War. Kabilang dito ang Civil Rights Act of 1871, na layong laba­nan ang mga krimen na may kinalaman sa lahi.

Noong 1978, ipinasa ng California ang unang state hate-crime statute na may kaugnayan sa relihiyon, kulay, lahi at pinagmulang bansa.

Noong 2009 naman, inaprubahan ni President Barack Obama ang Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, kung saan isinama ang lahi, sexual orientation, kasarian o kapansanan sa mga saklaw ng hate crimes.

Ang iba pang bansa na may hate crime laws ay Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Spain at United Kingdom.

***

Sa ngayon, wala pang batas sa Pilipinas na nagpapataw ng mabigat na parusa sa hate crime.

Kaya aktibo ang aking tanggapan sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa LGBT community upang mapalakas ang inihain nating Senate Bill No. 2122 o ang Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014.

Itinutulak natin ang pagbabawal ng anumang uri ng diskriminasyon batay sa kasarian o sexual orientation, lahi, relihiyon, kulay, edad, civil status, HIV status at iba pang kondisyong medikal.

Patuloy tayo sa pagkilos upang magkaroon ng bansang kumikilala sa karapatan ng bawat Pilipino at maprotektahan ang karapatan ng lahat, pati na rin ang ating lesbian, gay, bisexual at transgender community.

 

First Published on Abante Online

BIDA KA!: Aksiyon kontra diskriminasyon

Mga Bida, bibigyang daan ko sa ating kolum ang sulat ni Mang Reynaldo Vargas, na dating Overseas Filipino Worker na ngayo’y naghahanap ng trabaho sa edad na limampu’t limang taong gulang.

Noong una, akala ko’y isa lang ito sa maraming sulat na dumara­ting sa ating tanggapang humihingi ng tulong o ‘di kaya’y nagsusumbong sa mapait na karanasan sa opisina ng gobyerno.

Subalit nagbago ang aking pananaw at pag-aakala nang mabasa ko ang kabuuang liham ni Mang Reynaldo.

Maliban sa paghingi ng tulong, ang sulat ni Mang Reynaldo ay sumasalamin sa malalim na problema ng bansa na nararasan ng marami — ang talamak na diskriminasyon sa lipunan.

Para sa kaalaman ng ating mambabasa, narito ang kabuuan ng sulat ni Mang Reynaldo:

 

Dear Senator Aquino,

 

Good day Sir, gusto ko po sanang humingi ng tulong hindi po pera kung hindi po sa tulong makapaghanap ng mapapasukan sa edad kong 55 years old.

Tapos po ako ng Economics, at naka-2nd year college sa College of Law sa UE Manila. For the past 20 years ay nakapagtrabaho ako sa Libya kasa-kasama ang aking may bahay na hanggang ngayon ay naroon pa rin sa Tripoli bilang nurse.

Napakahirap maghanap ng trabaho rito sa atin sa edad ko dahil na rin sa panuntunan ng mga kompanyang ilimita ang maximum age sa 45 years old.

Bakit po ganoon kung ang mag-a-apply naman ay kakaya­nin pa ang trabahong gusto niyang pasukin. Sa US, ang mga senior citizen ay binibigyan pa nila ng mga magaang na trabaho para rin sa kanilang edad o katayuan sa buhay, making people useful to society.

At kung mayroong pakinabang sa gobyerno ang isang tao mas gagaan ang kanyang pamumuhay kaysa mabinbin lamang sa bahay at hintayin na lang ang paglubog ng araw.

Bakit wala po tayong batas na alisin na ang age limit sa mga trabahong puwede naman kahit lampas ng maximum age of 45. Sa US kahit 70 ay nakapagtatrabaho pa sila. Bakit wala po tayong policy na ganito?

Marami pong salamat.

***

Nakakalungkot mang sabihin, Mang Reynaldo, pero sa kasalukuyan ay wala tayong batas na nagtutulak sa mga kompanya na tanggalin ang limit sa edad sa pagkuha ng empleyado.

Sa edad na 55 na taon, sigurado akong kaya pang magtrabaho ni Mang Reynaldo at marami sa ating mga kababayan. Ano nga ba ang dahilan ng mga kompanyang ilimit ang edad sa 45 na taon?

Para sa kaalaman ng ating mga mambabasa, tinututukan na natin ang isyu ng diskriminasyon bago pa man dumating ang sulat ni Mang Reynaldo.

Naghain tayo ng panukalang batas — ang Senate Bill No. 2122 — na layong labanan ang anumang uri ng diskriminasyon sa lahat ng sektor ng lipunan.

Sa nasabing panukala, isasama natin na alisin ang edad bilang isa sa panuntunan sa paghahanap ng trabaho na ipinatutupad ng mga kompanya.

Kahit ano pa ang edad, basta kaya pang magtrabaho ay dapat bigyan ng pagkakataon para kumita.

Maganda nga ito dahil hindi na magiging pabigat ang ating nakatatandang mamamayan sa kanilang mga kasama sa buhay at makakatulong pa sila sa gastusin sa bahay.

Maliban dito, tututukan din ng ating panukala ang diskrimi­nasyon ukol sa lahi, kasarian, relihiyon at iba pa.

Moderno na ang ating panahon at marami nang nabago pero hanggang ngayon, nagkalat pa rin ang mga mahilig mang-api ng kapwa.

Panahon na upang tapusin ang baluktot na gawaing ito. Samahan ninyo ako sa aking laban kontra diskriminasyon!

 

 

First Published on Abante Online

Print Ads Imposing Age Limit on Applicants Equal to Discrimination – DOLE

Billboards and advertisements imposing age limit on applicants is tantamount to discrimination, an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

Assistant Secretary Gloria Tango made the pronouncement during the Senate hearing on the proposed measure to remove age limit for job applicants.

“Putting age limit on billboards for a job vacancy is considered discrimination,” Tango said in response to Senator Bam Aquino’s query regarding the practice of employers in imposing age restrictions on applicants.

However, Tango said employers get away with it because there is no penalty for such action.

Tango added that some employers are not aware that putting age limit on advertisements for job openings is already equivalent to discrimination.

“Information dissemination is one area where we can intensify our advocacy against discrimination,” Tango emphasized.

Aquino earlier committed to work against practice of companies to hire employees based on age, calling it discriminatory on the part of workers who still want to be productive citizens.

As part of his promise, Aquino will work on to add age as a basis on the bill that he filed seeking to prohibit and penalize discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, civil status, HIV status and other medical condition, among others.

Explaining his bill, Aquino said that while the Philippines was a signatory to numerous international agreements that seek to ensure respect for the human rights of all persons, discrimination is still prevalent in schools, workplaces, public service, as well as commercial establishments.

“In schools, workplaces, commercial establishments, public service, police and military, prejudicial practices and policies based on sexual orientation, gender and cultural identity limit the exercise and enjoyment of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as impede or delay the delivery of basic services,” Aquino said.

Sen. Bam Vows to Work vs. Age Limit on Job Applicants

Senator Bam Aquino vows to work against practice of companies to hire employees based on age, calling it discriminatory on the part of workers above 45 years old who still want to be productive citizens.

“This practice is unacceptable because we want to encourage our citizens, including those in advanced years, to be productive. Kung kaya pa naman, bakit natin hahadlangan ang pagnanais nilang magtrabaho,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“If we prevent them from exercising this right, then it is tantamount to discrimination, which has no place and should be outlawed in today’s society,” stressed Aquino.

Aquino made the pronouncement after receiving complaints from several jobseekers about this practice of companies to turn down applicants who are above their maximum age requirement of 45.

The senator said companies should give seasoned workers a chance to earn their livelihood, as long as they can perform the required duties and responsibilities required.

“Kahit ano pa ang edad, basta kaya pang magtrabaho dapat bigyan ng pagkakataon para kumita,” he said.

Aquino said he would work for the removal of age requirement by companies looking for workers.

“From I understand, there is already an existing bill about age discrimination. I will work for it to be incorporated in the anti-discrimination bill that I recently filed,” Aquino said, referring to his Senate Bill 2122 or the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014, which seeks to combat discrimination of any form.

Recently, Aquino received a letter from a 55-year-old former overseas Filipino worker who still wants to work to help his family.

In his letter, he called on Aquino to work for the passage of a bill that will remove the maximum age limit of 45 imposed by companies on applicants.

At the same time, Aquino called on companies to base their criteria for applicants on skills and not on degree.

“As they say, experience is the best teacher. Many important things are not being taught in schools and they are learned on the job. Some of the best people I know don’t have college degree but they excel in their respective fields,” Aquino added.

This way, Aquino said companies would help address the problem of job mismatch hounding the labor industry.

Scroll to top