Media Quote
Responding to Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla’s rejection of the recommendations to accelerate efforts in passing the law on SOGIE and anti-discrimination put forward by 10 UN member-states during last week’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, Rocky Rinabor, Trans Activists and Amnesty International Philippines Board Chairperson said:
“The response of Secretary Remulla rejecting UNCHR’s recommendation to protect members of the LGBTQI community, women, and marginalized groups is a glaring failure on the part of the Marcos Administration in upholding its obligations to protect human rights in the country despite their repeated promises. This blatant dismissal of SOGIE and marriage equality, divorce, and women’s access to reproductive health and rights on the basis of religious beliefs is a violation of the Philippine government’s duty to protect women and LGBTQI from all forms of stigma and discrimination.
“In a country where marginalized groups already experience hostile and discriminatory environments, women and LGBTQI people face disproportionately high levels of inequality when accessing health care, education, housing, and employment. By ignoring or delaying the enactment of laws to combat these, the Philippines loses opportunities to reaffirm the core fundamental belief that human rights must be respected for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. This further reflects that human rights is nowhere in the government’s radar.
“The decision only worsens the plight of people of diverse SOGIESC background with vulnerabilities and layers of human rights abuses and violations. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. must immediately correct this to prove that his support for human rights is without prejudice and is not merely lip service.”
Read more on Amnesty International’s recommendations to the Philippine Government following its 4th Universal Periodic Review on 14 November 2022:
The Philippine government should support and fully implement key recommendations made during its UPR, to prove that it is serious in its declared commitment to improve the human rights situation in the country. Supporting and implementing recommendations that would end grave human rights violations is critical to ensuring the international credibility of the new government as well as restoring respect for human rights in the Philippines.