Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 27) — Lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill on second reading that seeks to ban discrimination against COVID-19 frontliners, patients and Filipinos returning from overseas.
The House of Representatives passed House Bill No. 6817, which penalizes those who commit discriminatory practices against confirmed, suspect, probable and recovered cases, repatriated Filipinos, healthcare workers, responders and service workers.
Discriminatory acts include harassment or assault, stigmatization, failure to give assistance, and unlawful refusal to honor valid and existing contracts. The measure said violators who commit harassment will face at least one but not more than 10 years of jail time and will pay a fine of at least ₱200,000 up to ₱1 million.
President Rodrigo Duterte as well as health and local officials have earlier called out against attacks on health workers amid multiple harassment reports and refusal of assistance.
Those who commit the other violations will be imprisoned for at least six months up to five years and will have to pay ₱50,000 to ₱500,000, or both, it added.
If the violator is a juridical person or someone from a legally organized group, its president, director, head or officer will be held liable, the bill stated. On the other hand, if the person is a civil servant, the Civil Service Commission may dismiss the violator from service.
The new bill still has to undergo third reading and hurdle Senate before the President may sign it into law.
