A netizen writes a lengthy open letter to trans woman Gretchen Diez who sparked the discussion on SOGIE equality bill after she was stopped by a janitress to use a public restroom designated for females in a mall in Quezon City several weeks ago.

In his social media post, netizen Pidz Cabrera told Diez that she chose to be a trans woman so why the latter is asking the other people to adjust for her.

Cabrera believes that Diez is pushing for special treatment at the expense of the rights of other people.

According to him, there are more people deserved to receive special treatment and attention than Diez, especially people with disabilities who didn’t choose to be in the first place.

You can read his post below:

“DEAL WITH IT…

Pinili mong maging iba, taliwas sa kondisyon kung paano ka pinanganak… Walang pumilit sayo, hindi ka pinuwersang mamuhay ng ganyan… Ikaw ang nagdesisyon na gawin yan, ikaw ang pumili. Ikaw.

Ngayon, bakit kailangan ibang tao ang mag adjust at mag adapt?. Bakit kailangan maghirap ang iba at maapektuhan ang pamumuhay ng marami para sa mabuhay ka ng komportable?

Hindi equality at acceptance gusto mo.. Special Treatment at the expense of others.
Masyado kang concious sa mga rights mo, kumusta naman rights and privacy ng iba?

Maraming tao pinanganak with special needs. Di nila pinili yun. Wala silang magagawa. They are born with disabilities. Walang taong gusto ipanganak ng bulag, lumpo o may kapansanan. I guess they are ones who need special treatment.

Hindi ikaw na pinanganak naman ng normal at maayos pero piniling mamuhay ng iba sa normal at sa estado ng iyong kapanganakan. Yours is not a disability but a lifestyle choice. Wala kang kapansanan. Hindi mo kailangan ng Special Treatment.

Expressing your self is ok. Being different is ok. Being true to your feelings is ok. Demanding equality and rights is ok. But remember, YOUR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES ARE LIMITED BY THE WAY THEY OBSTRUCT WITH THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.
DEAL WITH IT. YOU DECIDED TO LIVE THAT WAY. DEAL WITH IT…”

Several netizens reposted the open letter of Cabrera and one repost reached 75,000 shares on social media.

Atty. Jude Sabio who filed the complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte before the ICC is now changing his tune and now expressing his interest to testify against former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

In his column in the regional newspaper Mindanao Goldstar Daily, Sabio admitted the alleged involvement of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in the production of the controversial “Bikoy” videos aimed to destroy the reputation of President Rodrigo Duterte, the first family and other pro-administration politicians.

Peter Joemel Advincula claimed that he’s the hooded man on the Bikoy videos.

“In the meeting at the hotel lobby, I told Sen. Trillanes to refrain and desist from Bikoy, because it is just a trap, apart from the dire lack of funds even for the ongoing ICC case. Jo ann also told him: “Sir, wag mong itutuloy yan, babagsak ka nyan at di ka na makakabangon,” Sabio wrote in his column.

At first, Sabio was clueless that Trillanes was involved in the Bikoy videos, however, he realized the former Senator is possibly part of the said propaganda because they tried to recruit him as the lawyer of Peter Joemel Advincula.

ABS-CBN also contacted Jude Sabio and confirmed that he’s considering to testify against Trillanes over his involvement in producing the “Bikoy” videos.

During the interview, Sabio who’s having financial problems, claiming that Trillanes stopped sending monthly allowance to him which amounted to 50,000-100,000 pesos since the former Senator left his office.

Sabio takes offense at Trillanes' claim the then-senator was merely giving him "aid" insisting that the money he received were monthly retainers for professional services rendered in various cases. pic.twitter.com/vEj3FxF9Te

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) September 6, 2019

Sabio also revealed that Trillanes didn’t pay the 700,000 billing for his legal service to whistleblower Edgar Matobato who claimed that he’s part of President Duterte’s vigilante group.

According to him, he’s also having a hard time working as a lawyer after he filed an ICC complaint against President Duterte.

“Kailangan ko yung pera eh, 700,000 (pesos) para maka survive ako… paano ako maka recover nito? for the past two years, limitado ang movements ko… hindi ako makapag practice ng pagka abogado ko for a long time,” Sabio said.

EXCLUSIVE: Sabio admitted he had a falling out with Trillanes over a P700-thousand unpaid billing for his services to whistleblower Edgar Matobato. Says he needs the payment to survive because his legal practice had become limited after ICC filing. pic.twitter.com/7AiglYdXYO

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) September 6, 2019

However, Trillanes denied the accusations of Sabio, saying that the lawyer offered his service for free.

A netizen believes that President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Nicanor Faeldon to Bureau of Correction (BuCor) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) as part of his plan to unveil the corrupt practices in the said agencies.

On September 6, netizen Florvin Garcia made a statement claiming that Duterte is using Faeldon as a “lookout” to catch the bad guys in the government, saying that the former marine official is incorruptible.

According to Garcia, several Senators wanted Faeldon to disappear in public office because he revealed several corrupt practices allegedly involving high profile politicians.

Garcia even claimed that President Duterte is really planning to make the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) controversy to be discussed by the media so the people would find out who are the people architected the said law.

He said that fixing the GCTA law will be in favor of the President in the future.

The netizen also said that Senator Leila De Lima is one of the people who would be affected by the GCTA law, however, she’s only detained and still investigated for the charges filed against her.

You can read his whole post below:

Corrupt ba si Faeldon?

Ang sagot ko hindi. Kasi alam ni Pres. Duterte na seryoso at tapat si Faeldon magtrabaho. Kaya ginamit niya ito na look-out sa BOC para malaman nya saan at kanino nanggagaling ang malalaking shipment ng kontrabando at kung ano pa ang ibat-ibang uri ng illegal na gawain sa BOC. In short, kung may corruption ba sa BOC.

Nabisto ni Faeldon lahat kaya ito gustong ipaalis ng Mga Senador sa BOC especially si Lacson kasi pinakailaman ni Faeldon ang smuggling of cement and other construction product na walang tamang Tax at Papel na nakapangalan sa anak ni Lacson.

Pangalawa inilipat ni Pres. Duterte si Faeldon sa BUCOR. Assuming nilang pinagplanohan lahat na mag-ingay tungkol sa Pagpapalabas kai Sanchez. Kinagat ni Lacson at ang mga Bias na Media.

Ang di nila alam na ang binabatikos nilang Batas na GCTA ay ang may akda ay ang mga senador na si de lima at pirmado ng LP senators, Kasama si Lacson, at Isinabatas ni PNOY. Di ano ngayon parang Gagohan lang. So nagdebate sa Senado at Congreso tungkol sa GCTA. Parang ang daming problema. Ngayon ang batas ay walang Bisa na.

Heto ang trick dyan. Since ang GCTA ay questionable, malaki ang porsyento na hindi na makalabas lahat ng convict, si de lima at ang mga taong corrupt na makukulong ngayong taon o sa mga susunod na taon pa. Si Faeldon naman tetistigo sa Kasong rebellion kontra kai Trillanes. Pag na kulong bulok sa kulungan. Ang Korte sa Manila RTC naglabas na ng warrant para sa lahat ng myembro ng CPP-NDF- NPA specially kai Joma at sa 36 leaders nito. Pagnakulong wala ng GCTA.

Bingo si Duterte. Si Faeldon lang pala ang makaCheckmate sa lahat.

As of writing, the post of Garcia which garnered thousands of reactions and shares has been deleted on his social media account.

Senate President Tito Sotto asked a question to his followers, amid the criticisms he received on social media because of his stance on SOGIE equality bill.

In a twitter post, Sotto asked if a trans woman can be eligible to take maternity leave like a biological female.

Maternity leave is a 105-day paid leave given to working mothers so they could rest and take care of the newborn child.

“Can a man who feels he is a woman apply for maternity leave to be equal to biological women?” Sotto twitted.

Can a man who feels he is a woman apply for maternity leave to be equal to biological women?

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) September 5, 2019

Sotto said in another interview that SOGIE bill would give disadvantage to real women.

“If you are a man, you will never be a woman, no matter what you do, because you cannot reproduce. You cannot give birth; you do not have ovaries. You will never be a woman. So this, to me, the SOGIE bill is a bill against women’s rights, and it’s giving transgender rights,” he said.

He also said that SOGIE bill is unconstitutional because it’s against “women’s rights, academic freedom, and religious freedom”.

The Senator is known for expressing his opposition against SOGIE bill which became a hot topic after a trans woman was blocked from using a restroom designated for female.

He even said that SOGIE bill has no chance to pass the Senate.

President Rodrigo Duterte clarified his stand on the SOGIE equality bill which is one of the top topics this month because of the viral incident of a trans woman blocked from using a bathroom for females.

In a post, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica claimed that President Duterte said that he doesn’t want anyone to face inequality under his watch.

However, he said that he would not try to redefine “male” and “female” because of God and laws established in the country.

“Ang ayaw ko ay yung nang-aapi at naaapi because of their gender, religious belief, or status in life. Gusto ko pantay-pantay ang trato ng gobyerno sa tao,” Duterte said as quoted by Belgica.

“But I do not wish to redefine what a male and female is as defined by God, norms and what our laws have already established,” the President added.

The President also said that he would still protect the rights of all Filipinos.

“I will forever be the protector of the mistreated, weak, the poor and helpless Filipinos regardless of gender, social status and their religious belief,” he said.

Belgica said that Duterte made the statements during his conversation with the President and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go during a discussion about SOGIE bill.

Duterte is known for pushing an ordinance to protect the LGBT community in Davao City.

Meanwhile, several SOGIE advocates wanted to push reforms like allowing the parents to put x to their newborn childbirth certificate to show that they’re not assuming the gender of their baby.

A lawyer and blogger criticized Senator Panfilo Lacson for pointing his finger to his own colleague Senator Ronald Dela Rosa over the release of around 120 convicts during his time as the Bureau of Corrections Chief (BOC) in 2018.

In a lengthy post, Atty. Bruce Rivera told Lacson that he should look at the mirror first and think that if he’s one of the senators who voted in favor of the RA 10592 or Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law many years ago.

Rivera explained that the law they passed made the Revised Penal Code (RPC) confusing.

The lawyer believed that the senators during the time when the RA 10592 is still on its way from being a law didn’t read the bill very well because they’re busy during the impeachment of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“Bakit si Sen. Bato ang inuna mo? Bakit hindi mo ituro ang sarili mo na bumoto na maipasa ang RA 10592? Ang House Bill ay napakasimple. Art. 29 ng RPC lang ang binago. Dinagdagan niyo ng provisions na Art. 94, 97, 98 at 99 sa RPC na hindi naman kasama sa Art. 29. Any first year law student will tell you that. Kaya nagulo,” Rivera said.

“At dahil impeachment ni Corona, nawala sa isip niyo basahin ang batas kasi busy kayo papano magpasiklab sa proceedings. Wait. So, walang aamin na nakaligtaan ninyo basahin ang batas kaya naipasa at naging batas,” he added.

According to Rivera, even the best man possible to lead the Bureau of Correction cannot do anything to counter the RA 10592 because RA 10592 really gave a generous amount of deduction for the sentences of convicts.

“Kahit pa si Jesus ang gawin niyong BuCor, sa batas na ginawa ninyo, makakalabas si Barabas pati na si Satanas sa pagcompute ng good conduct. Kaya sana, before ka magturo at magpa-Herodes na hugas kamay,” Rivera said.

“Kung kasama ka sa bumoto para maipasa ang RA 10592, yung pointing finger mo, i-dip mo muna sa sauce of accountability para malaman mo ang totoong kalalagyan ng daliri mo,” he added.

As of writing, the post of Rivera already reached 3.4k shares on social media.

Lacson is one of the lawmakers who are investigating the RA 10592 since the news about the possible release of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez circulated.

The Senator also pushing to repeal the said law to prevent another mess on the GCTA.

On Wednesday, Lacson said that Bato may be held liable for the GCTA mess.

“Kung merong violation sa point of view nung hindi nasunod ‘yung department order, na kailangan may prior approval ng Secretary of Justice, hindi maitatatwa na may dapat ding panagutan or ipaliwanag si Senator Bato,” Lacson said in a radio interview

Amid the lowering price of palay in several provinces, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy their supply from local farmers.

In a press conference Wednesday, Duterte said that the government should help the local farmers who are now suffering from selling their unhusked rice.

According to him, the government would buy the rice at a fair price and ready to lose money for the sake of the farmers.

“What the solution should be, or will be for the secretary of the Department of Agriculture to buy all, magkano ba presyo nila? Magkano presyo nila, bilhin natin, lugi? Lugi talaga. Are we wasting money? No. We are not wasting an industry. We’re helping an industry. So malugi tayo, eh di malugi,” said Duterte.

“You cannot demand a price. You arrive at a compromise of how much you’re willing to lose a little bit. Medyo tapatan lang basta hindi malugi yung pagod nila, they are compensated,” he added.

Duterte also insisted that the rice tarrification law, which was blamed by some groups to be the reason why the farmers are now suffering, was implemented for the betterment of the majority.

“Now, itong tariffication is a mode that is intended to serve the greater interest of the majority of the people. So, ang solusyon diyan, bilhin natin. Malugi tayo, malugi tayo. Kaya tayo nagkokolekta ng taxes para malugi,” he said.

Meanwhile, a blogger suggested that the government should regulate the price of imported rice in the market so the local farmers could compete.

“The best quickie solution for the government is to regulate imported rice and then buy all available palay at higher prices to manipulate the standard rate, so that rice traders have no choice but to offer the same rate, and this move by the government is VERY VERY laudable.” blogger Krizette Laureta Chu said.

She also told the President to let NFA personally transport the rice from local farmers because some middlemen might take advantage of the situation.

Senator Nancy Binay reminded the chairperson of Senate Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality Risa Hontiveros not to impose her own beliefs on the SOGIE equality bill hearing.

Binay made the statement after Hontiveros reminded the resource persons to avoid addressing trans women as “Mister” as it could only upset the members of the LGBTQIA+ community who attended the same hearing.

“May I just reiterate to the committee, to the friends here present let’s keep the committee on women and gender equality a safe space… so let us please refer to trans women as she, or ma’am,” said Hontiveros

“Because there are trans women colleagues present with us this morning and try to restrain ourselves from calling them he, or sir, or man,” she added.

The senator from Makati City interrupted Hontiveros and urged her colleague to also respect the beliefs of the resource persons who believed that trans women can still be addressed as sir or mister.

“Can I just raise up, siguro since we are hearing the other side, let us also not impose [our own beliefs] … if they believe to call them as mister or miss, pakiusap nalang natin sa committee na wag naman natin i-impose sa kanila yung belief ng chair,” Binay said.

“Just to be fair, because we already gave them [LGBTQIA+] our time during the last hearing, siguro let us give their time naman, kung yung belief nila they should be called mister or miss eh payagan natin,” she added.

Hontiveros accepted the suggestion of Binay, however, she still reminded the resource persons to made an effort not to upset anyone during the hearing.

“Nakakasakit na kasi sa mga kasama natin, in the same way na I don’t want to be called mister or sir,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros is known for being an advocate of equality and also pushing for the SOGIE bill.

Meanwhile, Binay wanted the discussion about equality to be universal and not only about the members of the LGBTQIA+.