4 SEC. 7. Equal Opportunity. - It shall be the duty of every person, natural or juridical, 2 public or private, to ensure that there is equal opportunity for all persons in relating to actual 3 or prospective employees, students, tenants, customers or clients, and that no discriminatory 4 acts, as defined herein, is committed b y them 0 r their. agents in the areas 0 f employment, 5 housing, education and delivery of basic goods and services. 6 For this purpose, every agency, corporation, company and educational institution, as 7 well as any 0 ther person providing employment, housing, education and delivery 0 fb asic 8 goods and services, shall issue an equal opportunity policy, including the creation of an Equal 9 Opportunity Committee, as provided for in Section 8 hereof. Failure to do so shall be deemed 10 refusal to address discrimination, and shall be penalized as an act of discrimination. 11 SEC. 8. Equal Opportunity Committees. - In order to ensure the compliance of this 12 Act, agencies, corporations, companies and educational institutions, whether private or 13 public, shall create an Equal Opportunity Committee which shall have administrative 14 jurisdiction over cases involving discrimination under this Act. 15 The committee shall be tasked, among others, to conduct the investigation of alleged 16 cases constituting discrimination on the basis of etlmic origin and/or religious affiliation or 17 beliefs. 18 Administrative sanctions shall not be a bar to any prosecution in the proper courts or 19 any act of discrimination committed on the basis of ethnic origin and/or religious affiliation 20 or beliefs, or to any civil claims for damages caused by said act. 21 SEC. 9. Penal Clause. - Any person liable under this Act shall be penalized by 22 imprisonment for a period of not less than thirty (30) days nor more than six (6) months 23 and/or a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (PhpIO,OOO.OO) nor more than One hundred 24 thousand pesos (PhpIOO,OOO.OO), taking into consideration the circumstances and gravity of 25 the offense. 26 SEC. 10. Duty of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). - It shall be the duty of 27 the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), in coordination with the Office on Muslim Affairs 28 (OMA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCll') to prevent or deter the 29 commission of acts of discrimination and to provide the procedures for the resolution, 30 settlement or prosecution of acts of discrimination. Tow<)Ids this end, the CHR shall: