House passes bill banning discrimination on basis of race, ethnicity, religion

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives unanimously passed Tuesday a bill that seeks to ban discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity and religion.

The bill provides for a comprehensive list of discriminatory acts which can be punished with a jail time of 30 days to six months and possibly a fine of P10,000 to P100,000.

However, the measure does not cover discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). The bill penalizing discrimination based on SOGIE is still pending in the House’s women and gender panel where it faces stiff opposition from conservative legislators.

Should it be passed into law, discrimination in the following settings on the basis of race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, religion, religious affiliation or beliefs would be penalized:

• Discrimination in political participation
• Discrimination in employment
• Discrimination in education and training
• Discrimination in the delivery of goods and services
• Discrimination in the acquisition, possession, utilization, lease or disposal of lands, including housing and other accommodations
• Discrimination in access to public places, facilities and public meetings
• Discrimination in advertisements or mass media
• Discrimination by wrongful portrayal
• Discrimination through speech, utterances, acts of hatred and similar acts
• Discrimination through analogous acts that result in impairment of the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Discrimination by engaging in profiling
• Discrimination through abuses of state and non-state actors

The act of inciting others to discriminate is also prohibited and would be penalized.

Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman, one of the authors of the measure, hailed the passage of the bill on final reading.

“I consider this as a huge step by our country toward a truly free society, where everyone can live freely and without discrimination,” Hataman said in Filipino.

He acknowledged, however, that the next battleground is in the Senate, where a similar measure is still pending before a committee.

The Senate panel would have to deliberate on the measure before sending it to the upper chamber’s plenary where it would have to go through two more readings. — Xave Gregorio