SOGIE Equality Bill
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Expression (SOGIE, /ˈsoʊdʒiː/ Tagalog: [ˈsɔdʒi]) Equality Bill, also known as the Anti-
Discrimination Bill (ADB),[1][2] are a series of House and Senate bills that were introduced in the
17th and 18th Congress of the Philippines which aims to set into law measures to prevent various
economic and public accommodation-related acts of discrimination against people based on their
sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.[3]
Legislative history
Prior to the 17th Congress[edit]
A senate bill against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was
believed to have been first filed under the 11th Congress of the Philippines in 2000 by then-
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.[citation needed] On July 26, 2004 under the 13th Congress of the
Philippines, Senator Defensor-Santiago filed the Employment Non-Discrimination bill which aims to
prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[4] Similar bills were refiled by
her on the 14th (Anti-Discrimination bill of 2007) and 15th congress (Anti-Sexual Orientation
Discrimination bill).[5][6]
In the House of Representatives, counterpart house bills were filed continuously by the
representatives of Akbayan party-list starting with House Bill 634 filed during the 13th Congress of
the Philippines on July 1, 2004 by then party-list Representative Etta Rosales.[7][8][9]
Similar measures continued to be filed by other senators during the 13th to 16th Congress but none
have been successful. Example provided below are the first anti-discrimination senate bills from their
respective congress:
13th Congress - Senate Bill 165 (Employment Non-Discrimination bill of 2004)[10]
14th Congress - Senate Bill 11 (Anti-Gender Discrimination bill)[11]
15th Congress - Senate Bill 1559 (Anti-Sexual Orientation Discrimination bill)[6]
16th Congress - Senate Bill 1022 (Anti-Discrimination bill)[12]
17th Congress[edit]
In 2017, the first SOGI house bill of the 17th Congress was filed by Dinagat Island
Representative Arlene Bag-ao under House Bill 51.[13] Similar bills were filed by Bataan
Representative Geraldine Roman (HB 267), Akbayan Representative Tomas Villarin (HB 3555), and
other representatives. These bills were consolidated and substituted by House Bill 4982.[14] HB 4982
made history when it was approved on the third and final reading with no members of the House of
Representatives in opposition, becoming the first Anti-Discrimination Bill that was approved in the
House of Representatives.[15][16][17]
The counterpart bill in the Senate, filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros (the first Akbayan senator), was
in the period of interpolations by May 2018. It was backed by Senators Loren Legarda, Grace
Poe, Nancy Binay, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Chiz Escudero, Ralph Recto, Sonny Angara, JV
Ejercito, Francis Pangilinan, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Leila de Lima, although de Lima is barred from
voting on the bill as she is currently in police custody.[18][19] It was opposed by Senators Tito
Sotto, Manny Pacquiao, Cynthia Villar, and Joel Villanueva (who signed up as a co-author of the
bill). Other senators such as Win Gatchalian, Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes, Panfilo Lacson,
and Richard J. Gordon did not express their support or rejection of the bill. Senator Trillanes is
currently facing cases that may put him in jail, which may make him ineligible to vote for the bill like
senator de Lima if he is arrested. Additionally, Alan Peter Cayetano and Gregorio Honasan lost their
voting rights on Senate measures as they declined to be part of the presidential cabinet.[20] Out of the
existing 24 Senate seats: 12 seats can vote and are in support of the bill, 1 seat is in support but
cannot vote on the bill, 4 seats can vote and are in opposition to the bill, 5 seats can vote on the bill
but have not yet given their positions on it (although the number may be reduced to 5), and 2 seats
are de facto vacated.[20] For a bill to pass the Senate, it needs more than half the votes in favor of it
from all 24 Senate seats. The SOGIE Equality Bill currently is supported by 12 seats that
are allowed to vote on the measure.[21]
The bill is also supported by the Catholic student governments of University of the Philippines-
Diliman (UPD), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU)-Manila, De La
Salle - College of St. Benilde (CSB), Far Eastern University (FEU), Miriam College (MC), St.
Scholastica's College (SSC)-Manila and San Beda University (SBU). The longest running LGBT
student organization, UP Babaylan, has also been supporting the bill ever since it was first filed,[22] as
well as known celebrities and icons such as Heart Evangelista, Nadine Lustre, Bianca Gonzalez, Iza
Calzado, Charo Santos-Concio, Dingdong Dantes, Joey Mead King, Divine Lee, Karen Davila, Chot
Reyes, Tootsy Angara, BJ Pascual, Samantha Lee, Christine Bersola-Babao, Rajo Laurel, Tim
Yap, Anne Curtis, Mari Jasmine, Laureen Uy, Pia Wurtzbach, Lorenzo Tañada III, Vice
Ganda, Arnold Van Opstal, and Chel Diokno.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]
In March 2018, a small group of Christians protested at the Senate against the SOGIE bill by calling
the proposed legislation an "abomination", adding that homosexuality is a "sin" citing that their hate
is justified because it is written in the Bible and that identifying as part of the LGBT community is a
lifestyle. The group also claimed that the bill relates to same-sex marriage, which is not found
anywhere within the bill.[32] Senators Villanueva, Gatchalian, and Villar spoke against same-sex
marriage after the protest.[33] In May 2018, senator Tito Sotto, who opposes the SOGIE bill, became
the new Senate President. In an interview, Sotto was asked on the bill's passage, to which he
responded, "Not in this congress."[20]
In July 2018, various high-profile celebrities rallied for the passage of the SOGIE bill. They also
called out senators Sotto, Pacquiao, and Villanueva to end the debates and pass the proposed
legislation.[24] In August 2018, at the height of the bill's postponed debates, various discrimination
incidents against the Filipino LGBT community surfaced, causing public calling for the passage of
the SOGIE Equality Bill in the Senate.[34][35] Numerous influential personalities, including political allies
of the three senators who oppose the bill, sided with the calls to pass the landmark proposal.[28][34][19]
In May 2019, the SOGIE Equality Bill officially became the longest-running bill under the Senate
interpellation period in Philippine history. Supporters of the bill have remarked that the prolonged
interpellation was intended by the dissenters to block the passage of the historic anti-discrimination
bill.[36] The bill's principal author and sponsor in the Senate, senator Risa Hontiveros, called on her
Senate colleagues to formally close the question period so that the bill can be open for amendments
and voting.[36] In June 2019, with the end of the session of the 17th Congress, the SOGIE Equality Bill
prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression—after the
lawmakers failed to tackle the bill in this session of the Senate of the Philippines. The Senate version
of the bill was first filed on August 11, 2016. It was sponsored by Risa Hontiveros on December 14
of the same year. The bill has become one of the slowest-moving bills in the country's history. The
passed House version of the bill would have penalised discrimination with a fine of not less than
₱100,000 but not more than ₱500,000, or imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than
six years or both, depending on the court's decision.[37] However, she said the bill had gained new
allies and wider acceptance among policy makers and the public and that she is confident the bill will
pass in the next Congress.[38] The bill was archived, and the bill must be refiled in the 18th Congress,
restarting the one to three-year process of enactment.[36][39]
18th Congress[edit]
Versions of the SOGIE Equality Bill were refiled in the 18th Congress by Senator Risa Hontiveros,
[40]
Senator Leila de Lima, Senator Kiko Pangilinan,[41] and Senator Imee Marcos although she is
against divorce and same sex marriage stating that its "too complicated".[42] Another similar bill was
filed by Senator Sonny Angara.[43] Senators Bong Go,[44] Juan Miguel Zubiri,[45] Ralph Recto,
[19]
and Franklin Drilon[19] announced their support for the SOGIE Bill. In the House of
Representatives, various representatives also filed their versions of the bill, notably, Sol Aragones of
Laguna,[46] Geraldine Roman of Bataan,[46] Loren Legarda of Antique,[47] Maria Lourdes Alba of
Bukidnon, Jose Belmonte of Quezon city, Bayan Muna representatives Eufemia Cullamat, Carlos
Zarate, and Ferdinand Gaite, Kristine Singson of Ilocos Sur, Bagong Henerasyon representative
Bernadette Dy, Eric Olivarez of Parañaque city, and Francis Abaya of Cavite.[48] Representatives Sy-
Alvarado, De Venecia, Reyes, Taduran, Bordado, Olivarez, and Violago have also signed as co-
author of the bill filed by representative Roman,[48] while Gabriela Women's
Party representative Arlene Brosas has signed as co-author of the bill filed by Bayan Muna.[48]
Religious leaders also gave their support for the SOGIE Bill, such as Koko Alviar of the Iglesia
Filipina Independiente (Aglipayan Church)[49] Sister Mary John Mananzan, OSB, executive director of
the Institute of Women's Studies of the Catholic St. Scholastica's College,[50] Bishop Solito Toquiero
of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines,[51] and Pastor Kakay Pamaran of the Union
Theological Seminary.[51] In contrast, representative Eddie Villanueva claimed that the SOGIE Bill is
'imported' and not part of Filipino culture.[52]
Senate president Tito Sotto expressed dissent against the bill again, adding that the bill "will not
pass" in the Senate as long as he is the Senate president.[53] Senator Joel Villanueva also expressed
dissent.[54]
Various personalities announced their support for the SOGIE Bill, namely: Anne Curtis,[55] Heart
Evangelista, Catriona Gray, Pia Wurtzbach, Judy Taguiwalo,[56][57] Iza Calzado, Nadine Lustre, Janine
Gutierrez, BJ Pascual, Mari Jasmine, and Samantha Lee.[58] Vice President Leni Robredo also
supported the SOGIE Bill,[59] while President Rodrigo Duterte supported "an anti-discrimination law
patterned like the one approved in Davao".[60] The government has stated that they will not certify an
anti-discrimination bill as "urgent".[61] In September 2020, groups again called to pass the SOGIE bill
after President Duterte gave an absolute pardon to a former US Marine who has been convicted of
homicide in relation to the killing of trans Filipina Jennifer Laude.[62]
