1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 Any person who requests, instructs, induces, encourages, authorizes or assists another to commit acts of discrimination shall also be liable under this Act. Likewise, a person who is duty-bound to act on complaints of discrimination under this Act but fails, or refuses to do so, shall be deemed to have sanctioned the discriminatory act, and shall consequently be held equally liable for discrimination. SEC. 7. Equal Opportunity. It shall be the duty of every person, natural or juridical, public or private, to ensure that there is equal opportunity for all persons in relating to actual or prospective employees, students, tenants, customers or clients, and that no discriminatory acts, as defined herein, is committed by them or their agents in the areas of employment, housing, education and delivery of basic goods and services. For this purpose, every agency, corporation, company and educational institution, as well as any other person providing employment. housing, education and delivery of basic goods and services, shall issue an equal opportunity policy, including the creation of an Equal Opportunity Committee, as provided for in Section 8 hereof. Failure to do so shall be deemed refusal to address discrimination, and shall be penalized as an act of discrimination. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 SEC. 8. Equal Opportunity Committees. In order to ensure the compliance of this Act, agencies, corporations, companies and educational institutions, whether private or public, shall create an Equal Opportunity Committee which shall have administrative jurisdiction over cases involving discrimination under this Act. The committee shall be tasked, among others, to conduct the investigation of alleged cases constituting discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin and/ or religious affiliation or beliefs. Administrative sanctions shall not be a bar to any prosecution in the proper courts or any act of discrimination committed on the basis of ethnic origin and/ or religious affiliation or beliefs, or to any civil claims for damages caused by said act. SEC. 9. Penal Clause. Any person liable under this Act shall be penalized by imprisonment for a period of not less than thirty (30) days nor more than six (6) months and/ or a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (PhplO,OOO.OO) nor more than One hundred thousand pesos (PhplOO,OOO.OO), taking into consideration the circumstances and gravity of the offense. SEC. 10. Duty of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). - It shall be the duty of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), in coordination with the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to prevent or deter the commission of acts of discrimination and to provide the procedures for the resolution, settlement 01' prosecution of acts of discrimination. Towards this end, the CHR shall: (a) Promulgate appropriate rules and regulations prescribing the procedure for the investigation of discrimination cases against their people and the administrative sanctions therefore; (b) Ensure the creation of committees on equal opportunity in different agencies, corporations, companies and educational institutions, whether private or public; and, 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 (c) Supervise the agencies, corporations, companies and educational institutions, whether private or public, in the implementation of this Act. SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any portion or provision of this Act is declared void or unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by such declaration. SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. Any provision of law or regulations inconsistent herewith is hereby repealed, revoked or modified accordingly. 3