CABANATUAN CITY—Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero urged the government on Friday to take proactive steps to safeguard the rights and welfare of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by passing the anti-discrimination bill.
“I ultimately believe that each and every Filipino should have equal rights, access to basic social services, and should be protected from all kinds of discrimination,” Escudero said.
In 2014, Escudero co-authored Senate Bill 2358, also known as the Anti-Discrimination bill, along with his presidential running mate Senator Grace Poe, which makes any form of discrimination a “crime against humanity and human dignity.”
The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex or gender or sexual orientation, language, disability, educational attainment and other forms of discrimination.
Citing a basic principle in social justice that those who have less in life should have more in law, the veteran legislator said the LGBT community, a sector of society that is often neglected, is also repeatedly stigmatized by different discriminatory remarks.
Meanwhile, Escudero traded barbs with Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas whom he criticized for failing to deliver more development of Capiz province despite his closeness to President Benigno Aquino III.
While campaigning in Roxas City on Wednesday, Escudero took potshots at Roxas, who said the Liberal Party standard bearer could have done more for his own province due to his “closeness” to two former presidents as well as the incumbent president.
Escudero said residents of Capiz were lucky because for a long time, their “son” has been close to former presidents of our country for three terms.
“If we are to sum it all—the term of President Erap, the term of President Arroyo, which was more than nine years, and the term of President Aquino, it’s more than 15 years, and your only son is close to the one sitting in Malacañang,” said Escudero.
But Roxas lashed back at Escudero and called him a “saling pusa,” or third-rate competitor, in the forthcoming election.
“Why did he have to be personal?” Escudero said. “If he wins the presidency, no matter how farfetched it could be, would he be that sensitive? What if somebody from your province criticizes him?