"Anti-Discrimination Ordinance of Davao City" proposed by Vice-Mayor Rody Duterte!

DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte formally filed his pet bill that would, according to him, "change the entire paradigm of the community" if passed into an ordinance.

The "Anti-Discrimination Ordinance of Davao City" is aimed at protecting the "minorities" from discrimination. Duterte said his bill's predicate is based on giving equal opportunity based on gender, race, color, descent or national ethnic and origin and religion.

Among the discriminatory acts specifically mentioned in the proposed ordinance are the following:

1. Refusing employment to a job applicant or imposing onerous terms or conditions which are not imposed on another similarly situated or circumstanced; by denying or limiting access to an employee, opportunities for promotion, transfer, training, schooling or to any other benefit which are otherwise granted to other employees.


2. Refusing or failing to accept any person for admission as student in any public or private educational and/or vocational institution, or by subjecting said person to terms and conditions for his acceptance in the said institution which are not imposed on other applicants similarly situated.


3. Refusing to provide goods or services and/or imposing onerous terms or conditions as requisite for providing goods or services to a person which are not refused or subjected to others.


4. Refusing or failing to allow any person to avail of quarters or accommodations in a house, apartment, condominium, townhouse, flat, hotel, inn, dormitory or any other places of dwelling being rented out or offered to the public for a fee, rental or other forms of compensation.


5. Subjecting, either by verbal or written word or publication, to ridicule or insult or attributing despicable behavior and/or bad habits or associating with violence and criminal activities, any person or group of persons by reason of the above mentioned predicates.


6. Refusing entry into restaurants, bars, stores, movie houses, malls and other places of entertainment and businesses which are open to general public or refusing or failing to attend to or serve the orders for food, drinks, beverages and other goods, consumable and non-consumable, to any person by reason of the above predicates.


7. Doing any other analogous act which demeans the dignity and self-respect of a person or impairs, mars, reduces or nullifies the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of his human and legal rights and basic freedoms in the political, labor, economic, social, cultural and spheres on the basis of the same predicates.

The proposed ordinance penalizes any violators with imprisonment of not more than 15 days for first-time offenders and not more than six months of imprisonment for those who committed violation more than once. Fines, to be determined by the City Council, will also be exacted.

Wuold you support such ordinance here in Davao City?Leave your comments and suggestions please.