WILL LOVE WIN? | Planong pagsulong muli ng SOGIE Equality Bill ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros

July 7, 2022 , 07:00 AM

(SPECIAL REPORT) – Ilang beses nang inihain sa Kongreso ang SOGIE Equality Bill ngunit walang nangyari dito sa haba ng panahong walang pag-usad. Sa papasok na 19th Congress, susubukan muli ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros na buhayin ang panukala. Paano nga ba niya masisiguro na uusad na ito, lalo’t manipis ang kanyang mga kaalyado sa Senado?

By Emmylou Olaybar

Si Sen. Risa Hontiveros ang nagsilbing silver lining para sa oposisyon noong nakaraang halalan matapos siyang magtagumpay sa kanyang reelection bid. Siya lang ang tanging pambato ng oposisyon na nagwagi matapos makakuha ng 15.4 milyong boto.

Sa kanyang pagbabalik sa Senado, handa na raw si Hontiveros na gamitin ang 19th Congress para maging daan upang maipasa ang SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression) Equality Bill.

“We will use this as a fresh opportunity to renew and prioritize our fight for all sexualities and genders. Oo, kasama tayong mga heterosexual cisgender sa laban ng mga LGBTQIA+ kapatid natin,” pahayag ni Hontiveros para sa selebrasyon ng Pride Month.

Ayon kay Hontiveros, na chairperson ng Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, matitiyak ng SOGIE Equality Bill ang kaligtasan sa mga paaralan, accessible healthcare, at sapat na kabuhayan para sa bawat Pilipino.

Layon din ng panukala na tuldukan ang diskriminasyon at inequality na nararanasan ng mga miyembro ng LGBTQ+ community.

“It is time we begin the process of healing the wound created by the gap in our laws that has allowed for bullying, ostracization, and violence to way too many Filipinos. It is time we forge a country that includes all, loves all,” ani Hontiveros.

Matagal nang nakabinbin

Ayon kay Atty. Ma. Jiandra Bianca Deslate ng Divina Law, ang unang bersyon ng SOGIE Equality Bill ay inihain pa noong 11th Congress ni yumaong senador Miriam Defensor-Santiago at noo’y Akbayan Rep. Etta Rosales. Ibig sabihin, halos dalawang dekada na itong nakabinbin.

Maliban kay Hontiveros, naghain na rin ng kani-kanilang bersyon ng panukala sina Sen. Imee Marcos at dating senador Kiko Pangilinan.

Nakapasa ang panukala sa ikatlong pagbasa sa Kamara noong 2017 ngunit hindi tuluyang nakalusot matapos mabinbin sa Senado. Nitong nakalipas na 18th Congress, muling nagpasa ng bersyon si Hontiveros pero tinatawag na itong Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill.

Matatandaang noong Agosto 2018, hindi pinapasok ng isang janitress ang transgender woman na si Gretchen Custodio Diez sa banyo ng mga babae sa isang mall sa Quezon City. Pinosasan at inaresto si Diez dahil sa reklamong unjust vexation na isinampa ng management ng mall laban sa kanya pero kalauna’y pinalaya rin. Humingi naman ng paumanhin ang janitress at inurong na ang pagsasampa ng kaso.

Nagbunga ang insidente ng sari-saring debate tungkol sa gender equality. Kinondena ni Hontiveros ang nangyari at nagpadala ng abogado para tulungan si Diez. Giit niya, hindi katanggap-tanggap ang insidente at dapat nang mahinto ang diskriminasyon laban sa LGBTQ+ community. Ito rin ang nagtulak kay Hontiveros na ipanawagan ang pagpasa sa SOGIE Equality Bill.

‘Tuloy ang laban’

Sa panayam ng News5, sinabi ni Hontiveros na tiwala siyang mas malaki na ang tsansang maipasa ang panukala sa darating na Kongreso. Kahit siya ang natatanging taga-oposisyon na nakapasok sa Senado, makakahanap aniya siya ng mga susuporta rito, lalo’t ilang beses na itong na-refile.

“Malaki na ang chance. Makakahanap ako ng mga kaalyado sa minority at majority, sa mga dati nang at bagong mga Senador. More than political differences, ito’y usapang buhay at pangunahing karapatan,” ani Hontiveros.

Dagdag niya, nagpahayag na ng suporta sa panukala si incoming Senate President Migz Zubiri. Sa isang talumpati, hinayag na ni Hontiveros na pursigido siyang maisabatas ang SOGIE Equality Bill.

“Makikipagtulungan tayo sa mga dati at bagong makakasama sa Senado upang ipaglaban ang isang lipunang marangal, makatarungan, at may pagkakapantay-pantay,” sabi ni Hontiveros. “I look forward to working with everyone. Let’s look after each other, walang iwanan, tuloy ang laban.”

Noong 2019, sinabi ni dating Senate president Tito Sotto III na hindi maaaprubahan sa Senado ang SOGIE Equality Bill kung makalalabag ito sa academic freedom, religious freedom, at karapatan ng mga kababaihan. Maaari rin daw magamit ang panukala sa pang-aabuso, lalo na sa paggamit ng mga transgender ng palikuran ng kanilang identified gender.

“Kaya kung ikaw mayroon kang sandata, hindi ka dapat doon nagsi-CR. You go to the men’s room,” ani Sotto.

Ngunit higit sa paggamit ng mga palikuran, binigyang-diin ng mga advocate at mga kaalyado ng LGBTQ+ community na gusto lang nilang kilalanin ang kanilang mga karapatan.

Same-sex marriage

Pero kahit isinusulong ang panukala, kinumpirma ni Hontiveros na hindi kasama ang same-sex marriage sa mga probisyong nakapaloob sa SOGIE Equality Bill. Ito ay dahil na rin sa kagustuhan ng mga advocate ng LGBTQ+ na maisabatas muna ang immediate at necessary protections para sa sektor.

Sa ngayon, tiwala si Hontiveros na sapat na ang SOGIE Equality Bill na inihain niya sa Kongreso.

“Praktikal lang naman ang SOGIE Equality Bill. In line ito sa diwa ng Konstitusyon at sa diwa ng pagiging Pilipino natin,” ani Hontiveros.

Kumpara sa ibang bansa, hindi pa kasing progresibo ang Pilipinas sa pagtanggap sa mga LGBTQ+. Ilang beses nang naharang ang SOGIE Equality Bill at aminado si Hontiveros na dahil ito sa kawalan pa rin ng pag-unawa ng ibang Pilipino. Pero “very energized” siya dahil sa suporta ng komunidad, aniya.

“Ayon sa surveys at pag-aaral ay pabor naman ang karamihan ng ating mga kababayang Pilipino na magkaroon ng SOGIE Equality Bill. Kami sa Kongreso ang kailangang humabol doon,” sabi ni Hontiveros. “We will take this to the finish line no matter how long we have to fight with you. This victory will be sweetest because we will win it together.”

(PM, KM)

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