Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 3) – The House of Representatives passed on third reading on Tuesday the anti-discrimination bill for COVID-19 frontliners, patients, and returning overseas Filipino workers.
Two-hundred four lawmakers voted for the approval of House Bill No. 6817 or the COVID-19 Related Anti-Discrimination Bill, while one solon abstained and no negative vote.
The measure penalizes those who commit discriminatory practices against confirmed, suspect, probable and recovered COVID-19 patients, repatriated land-based or sea-based Filipinos, healthcare workers, responders, service workers, and families and household members of the persons mentioned.
Discriminatory acts include harassment or assault, stigmatization, failure to give assistance, and unlawful refusal to honor valid and existing contracts.
Violators who commit harassment among the aforementioned COVID-19 related persons are subject to 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.
The bill also provides that those who perform the other discriminatory acts will be imprisoned for at least six months up to five years or will have to pay ₱50,000 to ₱500,000, or both.
If the violator is a juridical person or someone from a legally organized group, its president, director, head or officer will also 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 Senate version of HB 6817 is still pending at the committee level, where it needs to be passed also on third reading. Both chambers need to approve the bill before being signed by the President as a law.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier called out against attacks on health workers and entry refusal of repatriated OFWs to their hometowns amid multiple harassment and non-assistance reports.
