The Anti-Discrimination Bill is a proposed legislation which seeks to prohibit discrimination—either those committed by individuals or those arising from policies or procedures—against members of the LGBTQ community. Many LGBTQ groups in the Philippines have supported and lobbied for its passage since it was first filed in 2000 by then-Akbayan Congresswoman Etta Rosales. Almost two decades after, the Anti-Discrimination Bill has been approved on its third reading for the second time in the House of Representatives and, for the first time, is currently on its second reading in the Senate.

Here are some facts about the history of the Anti-Discrimination Bill.

• Atty. Venir Cuyco, the first president of University of the Philippines Babaylan, drafted the first version of the Anti-Discrimination Bill.

• After its first filing, the Anti-Discrimination Bill in the 12th Congress was approved on its third reading on 19 January 2004 in the House of Representatives with 118 in favour, and no opposition and abstention.

• During her last term as a congresswoman, Akbayan Rep. Etta Rosales filed the Anti-Discrimination Bill for the third time, with 27 co-authors, including her fellow Akbayan representative, Risa Hontiveros.

• In the 14th Congress, then-Congw. Risa Hontiveros championed the Anti-Discrimination Bill in the House of Representatives. In the succeeding Congress, with Congw. Kaka Bag-ao as its principal author, the Anti-Discrimination Bill was referred for the first time to the Committee on Women and Gender Equality.

• The Anti-Discrimination Bill was refiled by Congw. Kaka Bag-ao in the 16th Congress. Two of her co-authors, Representatives Estrellita Suansing and Angelina Tan, withdrew their authorship of the bill.

• In the 17th Congress, Representatives Aniceto Bertiz III and Orestes Salon withdrew their authorship. Despite this, for the second time, the Anti-Discrimination Bill was approved on its third reading on 20 September 2017 in the House of Representatives with 197 in favour, and no opposition and abstention.

• Almost a year after its approval in the lower house, the Anti-Discrimination Bill, filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros in 2016, is still on its second reading in the Senate.

Reference

All data are obtained from Legislative Information System of House of Representatives.

Complete data accessible here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KnCe8r4vKs07V94N_dalji9QTzpFMmsbc20OESS0waM/edit?usp=sharing.