t h e
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
)
REPUBLIC O F T H E PH ILIPPIN ES )
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
by:-
V
W BILLS * / i o e x
S. B. NO.
I n tr o d u c e d b y SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA
AN ACT PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION, PROFILING, VIOLENCE
AND ALL FORM S O F INTOLERANCE AGAINST PERSONS BASED ON
ETHNICITY, RACE, RELIGION OR BELIEF, SEX , GENDER, SEXUAL
ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, LANGUAGE, DISABILITY, OR
OTHER STATUS
Explanatory Note
The Philippine population is composed of many religious and ethnic
groups. This diversity, however, has given way to a number of incidents
on racial and religious discrimination. There exists profiling, a police and
criminology term that follows the basic sociological science method of
understanding the complexities of human society by breaking down
members of a population into groups that share common characteristics.
Certain crimes, such as terrorism, murder, and kidnapping, are
sometimes deliberately attributed to a religious affiliation.
Profiling has also resulted in stereotyping, causing minority groups,
particularly individuals of a certain gender and sexual orientation, to be
discriminated against in many ways including in employment. An
obvious prejudice against these groups has sprouted, running counter to
our countiy’s policy to promote equality and justice.
In recognition of the these issues, this bill seeks to promote a society that
values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for
human rights, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender and
sexual orientation. Society should, therefore, prohibit religious and racial
profiling, effectively penalizing those who commit discriminatory acts
such as:
• Subjecting a person to unnecessary, unjustified, illegal and
degrading search; discriminating against a person who is applying
for a job; or disallowing the entry of a person to an establishment
open to the public such as a restaurant, shopping mall, or hotel,
because of religion, color, creed or ethnic identity, the manner of
clothing, gender or sexual orientation, or the person’s name; or
• Employing religious characterization as words of religious import
in print and broadcast media when geographic, political, socio
economic or other distinction might be more accurate.