MINDANAO youth groups appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Equality Bill as soon as possible.

The Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Pamantasan ng Ateneo de Davao said that a law prohibiting “SOGIE-based discrimination” is urgently needed.

“Discrimination ruins the lives of LGBTQI persons every day. They are being abused at home, bullied at school, harassed on the street, barred from full employment, deprived of access to education and healthcare, and more,” SAMAHAN said in a statement.

“This is also the reality in Mindanao, where stories of discrimination against LGBTQI Mindanaoans go unreported every day,” it added.

On Tuesday, February 2, 208 lawmakers approved on 3rd and final reading House Bill 8243 or the proposed Equality and Non-Discrimination on Race, Ethnicity, and Religion Act.

The bill prohibits discriminatory acts based on race, ethnicity, and religion. Violators will face jail time and may be required to pay a fine, depending on the severity of the case.

However, HB 8243 does not cover discriminatory acts based on gender, which are prohibited under the SOGIE bill.

The groups stressed that LGBTQI persons are deprived of their basic human rights just because of their sexual orientation.

They argued that abusers will continue “to get away with impunity” without policies to protect the LBTQI community.

“We need a SOGIE Equality Law to put an end to discrimination now. The longer this bill remains unpassed, the more Filipinos will remain vulnerable to harassment, discrimination, and violence,” SAMAHAN said.

It called on Mindanaoans and other organizations to continue fighting against all forms of discrimination and abuse.

“As youth leaders of and for Mindanao, we know that diversity and equality must go hand in hand. We call on our fellow Mindanaoans to fight with our LGBTQI siblings against discrimination and show that our diverse island is truly for equality,” the group said.