LGBT Gets Help Desks in PNP Stations

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) have agreed to establish LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) help and protection desks in all Philippine National Police (PNP) stations in the country through a memorandum order or resolution to be issued by the Napolcom instead of a new law to be passed by Congress.

The agreement was reached during a recent hearing conducted by the panel chaired by Rep. Romeo V. Acop (2nd District, Antipolo) on House Bill No. 2952 authored by Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto (6th District, Batangas) which seeks to put up LGBT help and protection desks in all PNP stations nationwide to end acts of discrimination and violence against the LGBT sector.

The committee members and Napolcom officials agreed during the hearing that Santos-Recto and the Napolcom will coordinate with each other in drafting a resolution or memorandum order for the creation of the LGBT help and protection desks.

Deputy Speaker and Cebu 3rd District Rep. Gwendolyn F. Garcia said there may be no need for a bill to put up LGBT help desks in the PNP because a Napolcom resolution or memorandum order would suffice.

Garcia said the resolution or memorandum order is appropriate and necessary especially since Santos-Recto’s bill not only seeks the establishment of LGBT help desks but also enhances opportunity or equality in the Napolcom’s annual recruitment of women and also LGBT members as PNP personnel. The bill also seeks fairness and equality in the assignment and promotion of LGBTs in the PNP.

Santos-Recto said many LGBTs have become moving targets for discrimination and violence that affect their economic, social and physiological well-being. Yet in spite of this reality, there is an absence of government mechanism or intervention directed to monitor, let alone address, the incidents of discrimination, prejudice and even violence against the Filipino LGBT community.

“Because of this, many LGBT victims opt not to report the incident for fear of further harassment, prejudicial treatment, or more violent reprisal. The Philippines should not condone an environment where the LGBT community is treated with contempt and violence by their fellow citizens while authorities empowered to protect them look the other way or, too often, even join in the abuses,” said Santos-Recto.

The bill seeks to correct this onerous predicament by establishing LGBT help and protection desks in all PNP stations nationwide. These dedicated desks shall act on all cases involving crimes against chastity, sexual harassment, and abuses committed against LGBTs in the Philippines.

To complement this help desk, the PNP shall be tasked to ensure the gender neutrality of its human resource processes, from the recruitment and selection to the promotion and deployment of police officers, according to Santos-Recto.

“Ultimately, this bill seeks to create a police organization that is able and eager to respond to any criminal or emergency incident, regardless of the gender orientation of the people involved. Pahalagahan ng estado ang dignidad ng bawat tao na igalang ang kanilang karapatan kahit na anuman pa man po ang kanilang sekswal orientation o paniniwala. Establishing a help desk for the LGBT sector in all police stations nationwide will somehow ensure protection and promotion of their welfare,” Santos-Recto told the committee.

Napolcom deputy director general Tomas Apolinario said there is an existing law pertaining to Santos-Recto’s concern. He said the pivotal question is what will be the yardstick to be adopted in coming up with a nomenclature for LGBTs. “Do we need scientific evidence that a person is a genuine member of an LGBT group because this will be a source of confusion later on. So ano ho ang magiging sukatan for purposes of classification,” said Apolinario.

Rep. Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City) said the rationale of the bill is to focus on the rights of the LGBT community. “The approval of the measure would be a resounding signal to the PNP and the lawmakers’ constituents that unfair treatment of the LGBT community should not exist,” said Castelo.

Acop asked the Napolcom if the PNP has a human rights desk and if there is a law which created it. Apolinario said they have women and children’s help desks created through a resolution, and they also have a human rights office and designated human rights officers.

During the hearing, the committee also discussed the following bills: House Bill 2993 or the amendment of the “DILG Act of 1990 authored” by Rep. Francisco Matugas (1st District, Surigao del Norte); HBs 2426, 1306 and 1115 or the proposed “PNP Modernization Act” by Deputy Speaker and Batangas Second District Rep. Raneo Abu, Reps. Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd District, Pangasinan) and Gary C. Alejano (Party-list, Magdalo), respectively; and HB No.1506 or “An Act Amending The Educational Requirement For Police Applicants Amending For the Purpose Section 14 and 15 of R.A. 8551” by Alejano. (PNA)SCS/PR/SSC