Lapu-Lapu City Council okays anti-discrimination ordinance

CEBU, Philippines — Discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and others may soon be punishable with a fine or community service in Lapu-Lapu City.

This follows after the proposed ordinance, “The Anti-Discrimination Ordinance on the Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC)” principally authored by Councilors Annabeth Cuizon and Jeorgen Eyas-Booc, was approved on third and final reading on August 2, 2023.

The measure provides a fine of P1,500 or 48 hours of community service for the first offense; a fine of P2,000 or 64 hours of community service for the second offense; and the offender in its third offense will be slapped with a fine of P2,500 or 80 hours of community service.

It also provides that if it’s an establishment that violates the ordinance, it will be fined P4,000 for its first offense and warned of the revocation of its business permit.

If the establishment commits the same offense a second time, it will be fined P5,000 and its business permit will be revoked.

Punishable acts, as provided in the ordinance, are gender-based discrimination; denying access to private or public programs and services; denying access to establishments; verbal and non-verbal ridicule and vilification; inflicting physical harm; harassment; promotion of discrimination; and other analogous acts.

This ordinance shall take effect after 15 days following its complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

“We will approve the minutes of last week's regular session pa on Wednesday (August 9, 2023). After that, ipa publish na sa SP secretariat,” Cuizon told The Freeman yesterday. — (FREEMAN)