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+.

St. Scholastica’s College former President Sister Mary John Mananzan expressed her support to the SOGIE equality bill because she believes that everyone deserved to be respected even if they’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

During the Senate hearing in SOGIE bill, Sister Mananzan, a catholic nun urged the lawmakers to pass the bill immediately to penalize people who would show bad behavior towards the LGBQIA+ members.

She believes that the law would not give any advantage to the LGBTQIA+ members than straight people.

“I don’t see the SOGIE bill giving any special right to the LGBT community. We are just saying that the rights of everybody should also be applied to them,” she said.

Mananzan also said that religious people like her already learned how to respect the decision of an individual.

“As a religious woman, I believe in the respect, compassion, and reverence for all persons because they were all created in the image and likeness of God,” she explained.

The nun didn’t tell if St. Scholastica College, a school exclusively for a female would accept transgender women in the future.

Other religious leaders also expressed their support to the said bill.

Aglipayan Church member Koko Alviar, who admitted that he’s an openly gay man said that he believes in the intention of SOGIE bill to end inequality in the country.

“We believe God wants us to exist in a community of love,” said Alviar.

“‘Love the sinner,’ we are told by our anti-SOGIE Christian siblings, but how do you say you love the sinner when you are refusing them secular, universal rights to jobs, education, and healthcare based on their dissonance from your expectations?” he added.

SOGIE bill became a topic after Gretchen Diez, a trans woman was stopped from using a restroom designated for female in Quezon City.

President Rodrigo Duterte gave a 15-day deadline to all convicts released because of the controversial good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law to surrender because they’re now considered as a ‘fugitive’.

According to data, there are around 1,700 – 2,000 convicts were freed because of the GCTA which currently being investigated because some lawbreakers are allegedly bribing several Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials to take advantage of the said law.

“I will address myself sa lahat ng nakulong at na release sa batas na ito… 1700 of you, you surrender and have yourself registered to the BuCor… I will give you 15 days of liberty provided to make yourself available anytime that you will be called for an investigation, to have a recomputation,” Duterte said.

“If you do not, then beginning at this hour, you are a fugitive from justice. You will be treated as a lawbreaker. Things can go wrong if I were you, mag-surrender na kayo to the nearest police or military detachment wherever you are now,” he added.

President Duterte said that there’s no need for a warrant to bring back the convicts to the custody of the BuCor and he would order the authorities to search for every convict who didn’t surrender within the 15-day period given by the government.

He said that he would take full responsibility if his order is not allowed in the constitution.

Duterte also ordered a bounty of P1-M for every convict who would refuse surrender.

“I am ready to be investigated, I’m ready for impeachment and ready to resign,” Duterte said.

The President also cited a law where a newly-freed convict could be brought back to detention if the authorities found that the decision to give him liberty was wrong.

“You have to serve your sentence fully as the order is null and void,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he’s demanding for the resignation of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon amid the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law mess.

In a press conference, Duterte said that he wanted Faeldon to resign immediately after the latter became allegedly involved in freeing several high profile convicts in the national penitentiary.

Lawmakers also found that Faeldon signed the release order of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez who’s facing 7 life sentences.

“Faeldon has to go because Faeldon disobeyed my order,” President Duterte said.

According to President Duterte, Faeldon didn’t follow him even if he already told BuCor and Department of Justice not to free any high profile convicts without any order from “higher authority.”

“With Faeldon out, I am ordering all that have had the opportunity to be in that committee, all of them in the BuCor, to report to me and to the secretary of justice. In the meantime, I will not suspend them but they will be investigated. This goes straight to the Ombudsman. There was an admission they were remiss in their duties,” said Duterte.

The statements of the President contradicted presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo who said that Duterte is not going to fire Faeldon until the congressional hearings are concluded.

Faeldon also became controversial during his term as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief.

According to some critics, there are over 2,000 convicts freed because of “good behavior” under GCTA law since it was signed in 2013 during the Aquino administration.

However, the discussion about GCTA only became a hot topic because of the rumors about Sanchez’ possible release.

Senator Cynthia Villar said that it’s already too much for the farmers to ask for a 21 pesos per kilo of Palay.

During the Senate Hearing on Rice Tariffication Act Tuesday, Villar explained that the regular price of palay is 17 pesos per kilo and it only increased last year because of the bad weather.

Villar said that if the regular price of palay reached more than 17 pesos, it means that the country is not in a normal condition.

“The only time it was ₱21 was last year, wherein we were in a difficult period na nagmahal lahat ang rice, tapos kaya yung NFA, in-increase nila yung regular buying price nila from 17-20 to be able to compete with the traders,” Villar said.

According to Villar, a farmer needs a 12 pesos investment per kilo to plant and grow a palay and sell it to a regular price of 17 pesos per kilo.

“Kumikita na sila ng five pesos per kilo, I think 17 is really the regular of the regular price, it’s too much to ask na maging 21, 20,” she said.

Villar who also headed the senate committee on agriculture and food said that if the news reports that the price of palay in some provinces already reached 7-8 pesos per kilo.

Farmers blamed the rice tariffication act for the cheapening price of palay because the said law removed the limit of import rice to the country.

“Pwede ba pakisabi ninyo sa amin kung nasaan yung 8 at 7 pesos [per kilo] para kami na po ang bibili,” she said.

She also believed that palay prices became cheaper because of natural calamities.

Several weeks ago, netizens was saddened by circulating news on social media claiming that the rice of palay in several provinces, including Nueva Ecija already reached 8-7 pesos per kilo.

A representative from a farmer organization also claimed that in Arayat Pampanga, the palay already reached 6 pesos per kilo.

Because of the cheapening price of palay, several farmers had no choice but to enter a loan agreement.

A security guard of an establishment was spotted clashing with a group of trans women at Almanza, Las Pinas on September 1, 2019, because of an argument over the use of the female restroom.

In a video posted by netizen Macky Padilla Onrubia, it showed the security guard having an argument with a group of trans women who wanted to use the female restroom in an establishment.

According to the uploader, the security guard tried to stop the trans people from using the restroom designated for female which resulted in the commotion.

One trans woman can be heard shouting at the security guard who’s telling them not to use the comfort room because it only designated for the female gender.

“Sa susunod ayusin mo ang salita mo ha, bakit mo kami pagbabawalan mag CR ha?” the group told the guard.

“Public toilet pagbabawalan mo kami?” they added.

However, the security guard insisted that the group should use the comfort room designated for male.

The security guard and the trans women were only stopped by the other staff of the establishment.

It’s not yet known if the group is going to file a complaint against the security guard.

The incident can be compared to what happened to trans woman Gretchen Diez several weeks ago at Farmers Plaza where she was stopped by a janitress to use the comfort room for females.

Diez’ sparked the topic over the rights of the LGBTQA+ community to use any comfort room they wanted and it also prompted the politicians to discuss the SOGIE bill.