6 mind-boggling things Tito Sotto and Manny Pacquiao have said about the Anti-discrimination Bill

April 7, 2017April 9, 2017 planetphilippinesuk 1967 Views 0 Comments

By F. Valencia

IN 2016, the Philippines scored a milestone for humanity when transgender Geraldine Roman was elected as the representative of Bataan’s First District. She is officially the country’s first trans congresswoman. (Editor’s note: IndividualiTy, a US-based social group for transgender young people, defines transgender, or Trans, as “someone whose gender differs from the one they were given when they were born.”)
One of the first things she did at the House of Representatives was to co-author of House Bill No. 267 or the “Anti-Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (SOGI) Discrimination Act.” For the last 17 years, the bill which has been repeatedly refiled in Congress.
Its counterpart in the Senate is Senate Bill No. 1271 or the “Anti-Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Discrimination Act.” The Senate bill was prepared and submitted by the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality with Senator Risa Hontiveros as author.
Both the House and Senate proposals seek to prohibit certain discriminatory practices that harm members of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer) community.
But while Roman and Hontiveros are identified as champions of the Anti-Discrimination Act, they also have counterparts who are not as progressive in both perspective and comprehension when it comes to gender identity issues.
With the Anti-Discrimination Act now in the spotlight, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Tito Sotto have provided somewhat dubious arguments on the matter. While one is determined to (mis)use the Bible as a shield for his lack of better arguments, the other one doesn’t hesitate to showcase a worldview that borders on being a joke.
That said, we present the tag team statements of Pacquiao and Sotto on the Anti-Discrimination Act.

“Ano ba gagawin natin diyan na nagdamit babae yung lalaki? Tapos nabigla yung lalaki na, ‘Lalaki ka pala!’ eh pinatay.”

Senator Manny Pacquiao explaining how he believes that cross-dressing can lead to a crime by citing the scenario that allegedly happened to slain Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, who was killed by U.S. Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton in 2014

“Pag pumasok kami [sa clubhouse]…at naka-collarless shirt ka, at tsaka naka-tsinelas ka, hindi ka papapasukin. Straight kami. Papano kung transgender yung andudun? Or gay yung andudun, at naka-collarless, at naka-slippers at pinalalabas? With this law, kapag napasa ito, pwede i-demanda yung clubhouse. Ang agrabyado ay yung mga straight. Kahit pinalabas kami, hindi kami makakapalag eh pero pag transgender ang pinalabas, pwede silang mag-demanda, eh.”

Senator Tito Sotto, arguing that the bill may be exploited by scammers who may sue golf courses and clubhouses with strict dress codes

“Even in the Bible, we can read na ang babae, dapat magsuot na pambabae at ang lalaki, magsuot ng panlalaki. That’s what I believe.”

Senator Manny Pacquiao explaining why he’s against cross-dressing

“Kami sa mga lalaki, walang problema kung papasok ka, magto-toilet sa ‘min ang babae eh. At saka yung, let’s say, feeling na gusto niya dun, okay lang. Walang problema. Pero sa mga babae, ang danger na sinasabi ko is hindi yung mga ano, hindi yung mga binabae o yung gay. Yung problema yung magkukunwari, magbibihis kunyari na binabae siya o gay siya, o transgender siya, pagkatapos hindi pala, ang intensyon is either mamboso o di kaya mang-hold-up o kaya eh… Naku, delikado pa naman.”