MANILA – According to the Palace, President Rodrigo Duterte favored separate restrooms for the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Monday said there should be a third restroom for the LGBTQ+ members after an incident at a Quezon City mall last week where a trans woman was barred from using the ladies’ restroom.
“Sabi niya (Duterte) dapat meron nang third restroom for them. Pinag-usapan namin ‘yun kahapon,” Panelo said.
“That will solve everything kasi papasok ka sa female, siyempre di rin kumportable ‘yung mga babae, alam nila lalaki pala iyun. Ganoon din sa kabila. The best is you have a third restroom for them,” he added.
Panelo said Duterte was “very supportive” for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill.
In the previous 17th Congress, SOGIE languished in the Senate after the House of Representatives approved its counterpart measure. Sen. Risa Hontiveros re-filed the bill last month.
“Passage will depend on the wisdom of the lawmakers. We cannot encroach on that, sa kanila ‘yun,” Panelo said.
The SOGIE bill seeks to penalize discrimination against the LGBT community by a fine of P100,000 to P500,000 or imprisonment of six to 12 years subject to the discretion of the court./PN
