The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously approved on final reading a bill making discriminatory acts a criminal offense.

With 208 affirmative and zero negative votes, House Bill 8243 otherwise known as the “Equality and Non-Discrimination on Race, Ethnicity and Religious Act” was approved on third and final reading.

HB 8243 prohibits acts of prejudice and bias against individuals on the basis of race, color, descent, religion and national or ethnic origin.

The bill consolidated provisions of seven legislative measures filed separately in the Lower House.  Among the principal authors are Reps. Jesus Suntay (PDP-Laban, Quezon City); Amihilda Sangcopan (AMIN Partylist); Edgar Aglipay (DIWA Partylist); Mujiv Hataman (NP, Basilan) and Cheryl Deloso Montalla (NUP, Zambales).

Suntay, chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, stressed that enactment is in compliance with the Constitutional mandate for the state to give the highest priority to the enactment of measures that will protect and enhance the right of all people to human dignity, reduce social economic and political inequalities and remove cultural inequities.

The bill defines “discrimination” as any distinction, exclusion restriction or preference made on the baiss of race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious affiliation or believes which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise on equal footing of human rights and fundamental freedoms of an individual.

The consolidated bill listed a number of prohibited acts that are considered to discriminatory against another person or group of persons on account of their race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious beliefs.

The bill provides the presumption of discrimination as a condition which arises when a person requires another person to comply with term, condition or requirement which makes hit difficult for another person to comply with or is considered unreasonable. 

HB 8243 proposes the creation of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity in all agencies, corporations, educational institutions in both the private and government sector.  The body will be tasked to exercise administrative jurisdiciton to ivnestigate acts and practices o discrimination.

Suntay said the bill proposes penalties of imprisonment of 30 days to six months imprisonment or a fine of not more than P100,000 or both.

Under the bill prohibited acts of discrimination happen when persons are prevented or prohibited from exercising their political rights or when they are refused the supply of goods or services in view of their race, color, descent or religion.

In politics, discrimination is committed when a person is prevented or prohibited from exercising his or her political rights.

Discrimination in education and training is committed, among other s, when a student is given limited or denied access to benefits provided by an institution or when the student is refused admission to an educational or training institution.

Refusing to allow another person access to or use of any place, vehicle of facilities that the general public enjoy is considered a discriminatory act.

Discrimination in advertisement and mass media is also penalized if a person is portrayed as “stupid, barbaric, savage, dirty, wild, ignorant and similar degrading or unrealistic portrayals.”