Editorial

Preserving rights as social responsibility

Enshrined on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the importance of recognizing the rights and freedom of individuals. Declared the document: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” At its core, the Declaration promotes cultural and racial diversity, protection of minority communities, and inclusivity. Hence, it is imperative for each person to treat others with dignity, respect, and openness. 

In the country, movements that forward social protection, gender equality, and diversity are gaining traction as bills such as SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression) equality bill and anti-discrimination bill are being passed in the Congress. The said bills, fortunately, have hurdled the House of Representatives, just waiting for the approval of the Senate. The former is still debated on how to properly address gender equality especially for members of the LGBTQ++ communities given the diverse nature of Filipino citizens when it comes to cultures, religions, and traditions. While the latter is given much focused recently, where lawmakers have crafted a “comprehensive” version of anti-discrimination bill approved in the House on May 20.

Under the new measure, discrimination committed directly or indirectly based on actual or perceived ethnicity, race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, language, religious expression or belief, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth, and other status are prohibited. It also prohibits discrimination based on disability, age, nationality, marital and family status, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation, maternity, and pregnancy.

What is important in the bill is its preventive and punitive nature. With these elements, individuals are granted with protection from denial of reasonable accommodation; denial on the right to access of goods and services; denial of right against wrongful portrayal; denial of the freedom of speech, utterances, acts of hatred, and similar acts; denial of the right to health and well-being; denial of the right against profiling; and denial of protection against inflicting stigma, among others. Such comprehensive version provides a compromise between conservative legislators and proponents of the anti-discrimination bill anchored on the SOGIE equality bill. If passed into law, imposed penalties ranging from P50,000 to P500,000 are fined for violators who committed acts of discrimination, harassment, or coercion.

Apart from legislations, the key to sustaining these possible laws depend on the reception and actions of individuals. As a democratic country, systematic discrimination and microaggressions may be eradicated if the preservation of rights is treated as a social responsibility. Education over stigma. Respect over discrimination. Openness over traditions. As one humanity, it’s everyone’s responsibility to treat each other rightly.