LGBT organiztion Kapederasyon lamented the poor response of the Philippine government to promote the rights and welfare of LGBT Filipinos, as it marked the International Human Rights Day in 2014.
“Kung ang hustisya ay mailap sa mga tulad nila Jennifer, Mary Ann, ng mga mamayahag sa Maguindanao, at ng mga magsasaka sa Hacienda Luisita, hinding hindi maaasahan ang gobyernong ito na magtaguyod ng karapatan at kagalingan ng mga bakla at tomboy sa lipunang Pilipino (If justice is elusive for Jennifer, Mary Ann, the journalists in Maguindanao, and the farmers of Hacienda Luisita, this government cannot be relied upon in promoting the rights and talents of gays and lesbians in Filipino society),” said Kapederasyon in a statement.
Kapederasyon added that despite the recent successes of local antidiscrimination ordinances for LGBTS, the Aquino government has yet still to pass the antidiscrimination bill pending in the Congress and Senate.
“Maliban sa pang-araw-araw na pasakit ng mataas na bilihin, tubig, kuryente, mataas na tuition sa eskwelahan, at ng kawalang-kasiguruhan sa trabaho, dagdag pasakit ang diskriminasyon na nararanasan ng LGBT sa iba’t ibang institusyon sa lipunan (Aside from the daily burden of the rising prices of basi commodities, water, electricity, high school tuitions, and job insecurity, discrimination of LGBTs in the different sectors of society is an additional burden),” said Kapederasyon.
Kapederasyon sees the Jennifer Laude slay case as a clear message on US-Philippines relations.
“Ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa porma ng EDCA ay tuta talaga ng gobyerno ng US. Walang pinipiling biktima ang karahasan ng paghahasik ng digma ng Estados Unidos. Mapababae, bakla, o transgender ka man. Tulad ni Jennifer Laude, hindi ka ligtas sa karahasang ito (The Philippine government in the form of EDCA is a lapdog of the US government. The war aggression of the United States does not pick victims of its violence, woman, gay, or transgender. Like Jennifer Laude, no one is safe from this),” Kapederasyon said.
Kapederasyon argues that Laude’s case is nothing new and is related to some incidents in the past.
“Sinong makakalimot sa kaso ng panghahalay kay Nicole noong 2005? Kahit sa ibang bansang may defense agreement ang US, hindi bago ang ganitong kaso. Halimbawa na lamang ay ang panghahalay na ginawa ng dalawang Amerikanong sundalo sa isang babaeng Hapon sa Okinawa noong 2012. Halos normal ang ganitong kaso sa mga bansang binibisita ng mga Amerikanong sundalo sa diwa ng defense agreements. Bakit? Dahil ganito ang kulturang pinayayabong ng paghahasik ng gyera – bayolente at mapagpakasasa. Kaya hindi rin maitatangging malinaw na hate crime ang ginawang pagpatay kay Jennifer Laude. Makikita ito sa paraan ng pagpatay at sa hitsura ni Jennifer nang matagpuan siyang walang buhay at nakasubsob sa inodoro (Who can forget the rape case of Nicole in 2005? Even in other countries the US has defense agreements, cases like these are not new. In 2012, two American soldiers raped a Japanese woman in Okinawa. These cases seem normal in the countries US soldiers visit in the spirit of defense agreements. Why? This is the culture of war aggression – violent and excessive. It can’t also be denied that Jeniffer Laude’s murder was a hate crime. The ways she was killed, and her appearance when she was found dead in the toilet were proof),” Kapederasyon stated.
Kapederasyon added to raise the struggle of LGBT Filipinos by using their creativity in changing society.
“Tulad ng bahaghari, kailangan nating mapagtanto na hindi hiwalay ang isyu ng ibang mamayan sa isyu natin. Ito ang kontekstong ginagalawan ng pakikibaka natin para sa pagkakapantay-pantay (Like the rainbow, we need to realize that other people’s issues are not separate from our issues. This is the context where we struggle for equality),” Kapederasyon ended.
