4 THURSDAYI AUGUST 15, 2019
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By ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN ' back to PS-7.
A transgender woman, ryho was
barred from using a women's rest-
room in a mall in Cubao, Quezon
City, was arrested fortaking a video
of the incident on Tuesday.
Authorities said Gretchen Cus-
todio Diez was nabbed for unjust
vexation for sharing a live video
on her Facebook account when a
janitress confronted her.
According to Diez in her almost
an hour-long video, she was about
to enterthe women's comfortrtrom
at the upper ground floor of the
mall around 1:30 p.m. when the
janitress prevented her, insisting
that she should use the men's
restroom instead.
Diez said she started to take a
video to record the explanation
of the janitress on why a trans-
woman was not allowed to use the
women's comfort room despite an
existing anti-discrirnination ordi-
nance in the City.
She added that two janitresses
dragged her and brought her inside
a room that seems to be an em-
ployee's lounge where she started
to record a live Facebook video
to seek help from friends and for
evidence.
It was seen in the video that
some security and maintenance
personnel of the mall continued to
argue with Diez and prevented her
to take a video inside.
Diez was held inside the room
for hours before she was brought
to Quezon City Police Station 7
(PS-7) around 4:20 p.m. then to
QCPD's Anti-Cybercrime Division
in Camp Karingalbut referred them
At around 11:30 p.m., Diez was
freed after the janitress decided
to drop charges against her and
apologized through a letter.
While Diez accepted the written
apology, she said that her camp will
continue to file complaints against
the mall management for violating
the city's Gender-Fair Ordinance.
"We will still fight 6r what is right.
'Yung violation po against city ordi-
nance ng Quezon City, papatunayan
po natin sa lahat na may pangil pa
rin po ang batas," Diez said in an
interview right after her release.
"Wala daw po talagang formal
education and training on gender
equality ang mga staff. Five years na
simula nung napasa'yunqordiqaqce
sa Quezon City, five years is enough
to orient their people para galangin
ang inga karapatan natin. It should
not happen in Quezon City, it should
not happen anywhere in the Philip-
pines," she added:
GENDER-FAIR ORDINANCE
In 2014,-the Quezon City council
passed the City Gender-Fair Ordi-
nance that aims to defend members
of the LGBT+ community from any
form of discrimination.
Under the ordinance, it is unlawfrrl
to-"ridicule, to commit harassment,
disallow the entry from any establish-
men!, promote discrimination and to
mmmit any act'that demeans the dig-
nity and self-respect of a person."
The ordinance mandates iinpris-
onmerit of not hss than two months
up to one year for any person
held liable and a fine of F1,000 to
F5,000.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte
has condemned the ctlscr,imination
happened to Diez despitethe exist-
ing ordinance.
"Quezon City is the first city to
pass a Gender Faii Ordinance to pro.
tect the rights of LGBT+ community.
It prohibits all forms of discrimina-
tion, gives protection and respects
the dignity,and human rights of
everyone especially the LGBT+,"
Belmonte said in a statement on
Wednesday.
The city mayor added that the
mall clearly violated the ordinance
for its failure to put up an "All-
Gender Toilets" for the LGBT+
community.
"I already ordered the Business
Permit and Licensing Depaftment
(BPLD) to ensure that all estab-
lishments here in the city comply
with our Gender Fair Ordinance,"
Belmonte added.
Quezon City First District councilor
Mayen Juico, who authored the
ordinance, went to the police sta-
'tion where Diez was held to show
support.
"We are very disappointed be-
cause of all the cities, we have the
most comprehensive ordinance
when it comes to anti-discrimina-
tion. While it should not happen to
any LGBf,, it should not happen in
Quezon City," she said.
Bataan First District Repr_esenta-
tive Geraldine Roman also met with
Diez and the mall personnel at the
police station to explain the existing
ordinance and to suppoft the rights
of the LGBT+.
Roman, who was the first trans-
gender woman elected to the House
of Represdntatives, also vowed to
probe the discrimination happened
to Diez.
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