Duterte meets trans woman in mall restroom incident

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte met with Gretchen Diez, the transwoman who was recently subjected to discrimination, on Monday night in Malacañang.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, former presidential aide, shared to the media a photo of the President and Diez with Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman.

The 28-year-old Diez was briefly detained last week after a female cleaning crew member of Farmers Plaza in Quezon City filed an unjust vexation complaint against her.

In turn, Diez filed a complaint against the mall for violating the city’s Gender Fair Ordinance.

READ: Transgender woman in women’s comfort room causes stir in QC mall

Roman, the first transgender woman elected to Congress, has condemned the incident and called it a “violation of human rights.”

The incident has prompted calls for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) bill, which seeks to protect the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community from discriminatory acts.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros refiled the SOGIE Bill in the18th Congress.

The House of Representatives approved the bill in 2017, but the Senate version was delayed during the period of interpellation.

READ: Hontiveros urges passage of SOGIE Bill after trans woman’s arrest in mall

According to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, the President is “supportive” of the anti-discrimination measure.

He also said that Duterte was in favor of separate restrooms for members of the LGBT community.

/atm