EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
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SENATE r
S. No. _ u l U
■'vOiliic ol : . i '
*19 JU LIO A 9 - 4 2
RLCi ‘ .-i- Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
AN ACT
PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF ETHNICITY, RACE,
RELIGION OR BELIEF, SEX OR GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION,
LANGUAGE, DISABILITY, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND OTHER
FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Explanatory Note
The 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantees equal protection for everyone.
Article 2, Section 10 declares the policy o f the State to "promote social justice in all
phases of national development." Section 11 provides that the State "values the
dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights," while
Section 14 imposes on the State the duty to value the "role of women in nation
building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and
men."
Article 3, Section 1 of the fundamental law states that, "[n ]o person shall be
deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor shall any person
be denied the equal protection of the laws."
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which the
Philippines is a signatory, provides that the "recognition of the inherent dignity and
of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the w orld." The UDHR also provides that
everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind
such as race, color, sex or gender or sexual orientation language, religion political or
other opinion, educational attainment, national or social origin, property, birth or
other status.
This proposal seeks to enhance the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution
and several international declarations, prevent and criminalize various forms of
discrimination and penalize such. Any form of discrimination may be categorized as a
crime against humanity and human dignity in that several international declarations