MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is mulling to sign an Executive Order (EO) to create a committee for the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
In a speech in Maguindanao on Saturday, Duterte reiterated his support to the members of the LGBT community, saying they should not be discriminated.
“Ako ang nauna sa Davao. Ito ngayon ‘yung mga LGBT. Let me just use a generic – I do not mean to offend you. Itong mga bakla pati tomboy. Nauna na ako. Meron akong anti-discrimination bill during my time when I was mayor,” Duterte said.
“(Sa Davao) hindi ka pwede magsabi, ‘Ah wala ‘yan kasi Moro ka. Madumi ka.’ No, you can go to jail for that,” he added. “But habang hinihintay ‘yung bill, I might sign an EO.”
Duterte has been vocal with his support for the LGBT community and was pushing for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill.
In the previous 17th Congress, SOGIE languished in the Senate after the House of Representatives approved its counterpart measure. Sen. Risa Hontiveros re-filed the bill last month.
The SOGIE bill seeks to penalize discrimination against the LGBT community by a fine of P100,000 to P500,000 or imprisonment of six to 12 years subject to the discretion of the court./PN
