Anti-discrimination bill fails to hurdle Congress

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 4) — It's back to square one for the bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression -- after the Senate failed to tackle the longest-running bill in the period of interpellations in the upper chamber at the end of the 17th Congress session.

After 902 calendar days since Senator Risa Hontiveros sponsored it, and having languished at second reading, the counterpart SOGIE equality bill at the Senate was not approved.

On the last day of Senate sessions, Hontiveros lamented at the pace the Senate attended to the bill.

"It was one of the first bills sponsored in 2016. Should we still debate about something as basic as equality? For three years? Really?" Hontiveros said.

The SOGIE bill, which was first drafted 19 years ago, was passed by the House of Representatives in 2017 with unanimous support from 198 lawmakers without abstentions or dissent. SOGIE refers to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression.

Its Senate version was first filed in August 11, 2016. Hontiveros sponsored the measure in December 14 of the same year.

Since then, the bill has undergone six interpellations and five inquries. In August 8, 2018, Hontiveros along with four other senators -- Loren Legarda, Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, and Juan Miguel Zubiri -- expressed support for the passage of the measure.

Conservative senators Manny Pacquiao, Joel Villanueva, as well as Senate President Tito Sotto, have expressed opposition to the measure.

The bill eyes protection for Filipino members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) community against sex- and gender-based discrimination.

The House version of the bill penalizes those who commit discriminatory acts against LGBTQ+ Filipinos: a fine of not less than ₱100,000 but not more than ₱500,000, or imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years or both, depending on the court's decision.