Abunda calls for end to hate crimes

CEBU, Philippines - Entertainment host and senior political adviser of the Ladlad partylist, Eugenio “Boy” Abunda, was in Cebu yesterday to personally appeal to Cebuanos to end hate crimes against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Ladlad partylist, the political organization of LGBT Filipinos, condemned the recent pellet gun attacks on gays in Cebu City.

“We personally came to Cebu to ask our Cebuano brothers to put an end to this kind of hate crime. Please stop hurting people,” Abunda said.

The party adviser also asked the police to consider attacks with pellet guns as a crime equal to attacks inflicted with deadly weapons.

“Nasaktan talaga ako nang mabalitaan ko iyon, nabagabag at na-insulto. Bakit may mga tao na nananakit ng taong wala namang ginagawang masama sa kanila? Bakit kinukutya pa rin tayo?” Abunda said during the press conference.

Abunda said they will hold a protest if another obvious attack on LGBTs happens.

He said they cannot allow that they will not be given a chance to express their rage.

“Kami’y nagluluksa, umiiyak, nagagalit sa nangyari. Tama na. Sana hindi na iyon mangyari sa iba,” he said.

Abunda admitted though that although their partylist is one of the most “feared” partylists in the country, they are not that organized yet and still have a long way to go.

Although he said there are fewer hate crimes here in Cebu unlike in Manila, former Ladlad chairperson Danton Remoto appealed that Cebuano should be more open to transgenders.

The partylist said they were also pleased after learning that the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity here in Cebu, through a letter, denied the accusation that they hated homosexuals.

“Cebu is more peaceful and Cebuanos are more open-minded than in Manila. I don’t want related incidents victimizing LGBT Filipinos in Manila to also happen here,” he said.

Nevertheless, Ladlad said these savage and atrocious acts towards LGBT Filipinos must be thwarted and eliminated as soon as possible. The group is calling the attention of the city government and police to take steps to address the human rights of the LGBT community.

Also right now, Ladlad is pushing for the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill in the Congress.

Remoto said government authorities think that LGBTs are not facing discrimination but records show that over a hundred LGBTs have been killed since 1996.

“This is very alarming. If we don’t act now, maybe next time the culprits will use a real gun,” Ladlad current chairperson Bemz Benedito said.

“We demand an investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Benedito added.

In a report that reached Ladlad headquarters in Manila, a group of transgenders were attacked in two separate incidents by a group of men on board a white car last Oct. 13 in Barangay Labangon.

Ladlad stressed that government and civil society must work together to uncover all injustices being experienced by the LGBT Filipinos and develop means to remedy them.

The group added that the struggle of every LGBT for dignity, equality, and human rights is a long one, but not impossible.

“Let’s stand united and harmonious; there is no challenge too great to overcome. Let’s fight discrimination and injustice,” Benedito said.

Ladlad now has more than 50,000 members nationwide. They plan to run as partylist again in the May 2013 elections. —/BRP (FREEMAN)