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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
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'13 JllL 23 P1 :33
SENATE
S,No,
1081
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Every citizen enjoys the fundamental right to be free from discrimination which arises from
his or her race, religion Qr ethnicity, The importance of this fundamental right cannot be
overemphasized, especially in a country such as ours with a rich and diverse socio-cultural
background. A peek into our history will reveal that stereotyping based on religion and ethnic
background is one of the major barriers that our country has to hurdle in order to progresshampering as it does efforts to unite the nation.
Stereotyping typically casts particular groups of people in a particular mold simply because
of race, religion or etlmicity. Rooted in bigotry, it ascribes to these groups certain negative traits,
such as when a person suspected of being involved in a crime is referred to as a "Muslim suspect",
when no such identification is made when such a suspect belongs to the Christian or other
religions. This creates mistrust among our people and our institutions. It seriously erodes public
confidence, discourages people from taking advantage of opportunities, effectively denies basic
services to the most vulnerable sectors and thus creates a long-lasting negative impact both to the
economy and to the community.
Individuals who belong to the stereotyped communities feel a diminished sense of
citizenship, a feeling of being an unequal member of society even though we purport to live under
one flag and one country. They also feel singled-out, simply because they belong to these
stereotyped communities or groups. Thus, it also disempowers communities and creates divisions
and an unwillingness to identify with and submit to the laws of the country.
This bili does not purport 'to b'e a panacea to cure these age-old ills. It is however believed
that a greater knowledge and consciousness about the dangers of stereotyping and racial-cultural
profiling will go a long way in mending and improving relations among the diverse members of
our community and countty.
Urgent passage of this measure is therefore proposed.
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO