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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
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'13 OCT 14 P1 :58
S. B. No.ta3
9
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SONNY ANGARA
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 111, Section 1, of the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides
for the equal treatment of all individuals. The State is therefore mandated to protect its citizens
against all forms of discriminatory acts in order to promote equal protection and eliminate
stereotypes and prejudices.
The Constitution likewise provides that the Philippines adopt the generally accepted
principles of international law as part of the law of the land (Art. 11, See. 2). Under the
International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as on Civil and
Political Rights, state parties like the Philippines should guarantee and ensure respect for the
rights of individuals, without discrimination of any kind as to race, color, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, and
to adopt such legislative or other measures as may be necessary to give effect to those rights.
It is therefore the intent of this bill to provide for a law that prohibits discrimination
against people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. By ensuring equal treatment for
all individuals, it is hoped that this legislation will foster peace in all the three major islands of
the Philippines, with emphasis on Mindanao where Muslims constitute a large portion of the
population. The recently concluded issue on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancesh'al
Domain (MOA-AD) is obviously an indication of how passionate our brothers and sisters from
Mindanao are about their freedom, including their freedom from being discriminated.
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.