Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Friday criticized the owner of the Plantation Bay resort in Cebu for shaming a mother of a child with autism and issuing a non-apology after the latter’s complaint went viral.

“Talagang nakakadismaya at nakakagalit ang mga insidenteng ito ng diskriminasyon laban sa may autism at sa kanilang pamilya. (Incident like this that discriminates those with autism and their family is truly disheartening and irritating),” De Lima said in a statement.

De Lima, both a parent and a grandparent to children born with autism, said the incident only showed the people’s lack of awareness and knowledge on autism and the need for a law that will help and establish their rights.

The senator said she hopes this incident would remind lawmakers of the urgency of passing into law measures that could improve the living conditions of persons with autism and raise awareness about their conditions.

“Hindi sapat ang awa o simpatiya sa may autism at sa kanilang pamilya. Ang kailangan ay malalim na pang-unawa at pagtanggap sa kanilang sitwasyon at kalagayang pangkalusugan, suporta at pangangalaga ng estado sa kanilang kapakanan. (People with autism and their family do not need pity or sympathy. What they need is a deeper understanding and acceptance of their situation and the government’s support for their health and welfare),” she pointed out.

A recent Mai Pages had earlier narrated her “discriminating” experience at Plantation Bay Resort and Spa on travel site TripAdvisor and shared how the resort’s staff reprimanded her for her child’s noise despite explaining that her son has special needs.

However, the resort owner Manny Gonzalez dismissed the complaint by responding that “uncontrolled shouting is not a symptom of autism” and blaming the mother for not disciplining her child well.

The now-deleted response on TripAdvisor went viral. Gonzales later on posted an apology letter for his response on Plantation Bay’s Facebook account after receiving backlash from netizens.

But Gonzales reiterated in his supposed apology letter that the resort was merely trying to apply its strict policy on keeping the noise level down in the resort’s public area.

De Lima said she hopes that Congress will fast track the approval of the measure that seeks to educate and promote awareness about autism.

She earlier filed Senate Bill No. 855 which seeks the establishment of an inter-agency and multi-sectoral agency to develop and implement a National Development Disability Program tasked to promote awareness, education, and information about issues on development disabilities, such as autism and set up a network of support groups for their families.

“I am calling on my colleagues again to support SB No. 855 and help ensure its successful and immediate passage into law so we could avoid these incidents from happening again while also empowering persons with developmental disabilities,” she said.

“It is challenging for persons with autism and other developmental abilities to live a safe life free from any form of discrimination, that’s why we should do our part in increasing awareness and understanding about these conditions to encourage the society to help them become healthy, happy and productive members of the community,” De Lima stressed.