Sotto: Senate may pass antigender discrimination bill, if …

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. INQUIRER.NET / CATHY MIRANDA

There’s still hope for the antigender discrimination bill in the Senate—but only if its “controversial provisions” are resolved, according to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Changing his earlier stance, Sotto said Senate Bill No. 1271, or the “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (Sogie)” Equality Bill, still had a “good chance” of being passed in the 17th Congress, provided the senators settled certain contentious provisions.

“[The bill] has a good chance if it is confined to nondiscrimination in employment, treatment in society and noncontroversial provisions,” he said in a text message to reporters.

In March, Sotto, an opponent of the measure, said there was no chance the bill, authored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, would be passed.

The House of Representatives passed its own version of the bill in September 2017 by a 197-0 vote.

Sotto said the senators should reconsider provisions on the “removal of dress codes, encroachment into religious and academic practices, the use of women’s restrooms, etc. etc. etc.”  —DJ YAP