MANILA, Philipines - There has been a steady and alarming rise in violence against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) community in the Philippines over the past 15 years, new research conducted by an LGBT advocacy group suggests, in line with a call for the police and the Commission and Human Rights to acknowledge and formally look into the troubling trend.
For the first half of 2011 alone, as of June 17, the Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch says it has documented 28 killings within the gay community. This figure already nearly equals homicide and murder figures for 2010, which is pegged at 29.
“Expanding the timeframe to as early as 1996, a total of 103 (killings of LGBTs have been monitored),” the group said.
Of the 103 cases that the group considers hate crimes, 61 attacks were against gay men, 26 against transgenders, 12 against lesbians, and four targetted bisexuals.
The figures were collated from news and personal accounts sent to the group through e-mail and Facebook. Marlon Toledo Lacsamana and Reighben Labilles, the group’s coalition coordinators, admit that their data is very raw, and needs to be cross-checked with police records. But the two are having difficulty verifying the ”staggering” data because the victims’ relatives are often unwilling to cooperate. Equally problematic: the police do not actually track crimes along the lines of whether or not they targetted LGBTs.
“Homophobia and transphobia (negative attitudes against transexualism) present among most of the victims’ families also made it impossible to procure sworn statements, narratives which would have expounded on the situations surrounding each murder,” the group said.
Lacsamana, who founded the group after two of his gay friends were brutally killed in 2009, said the victims’ relatives would rather have the police tag the incident as “mere robberies” than an overt and targetted attack on homosexuals. The victims’ families also feel stigmatized when the media sensationalize such crimes.
“They feel ashamed that their loved one is gay,” he added. “They often decide not to pursue the case anymore especially when the tabloids sensationalize the crime in the headlines.”
With these obstacles in sight, Lacsamana said the figures they have may be incomplete, but they definitely represent just a “tip of the iceberg.”
In 2009, following the tragic deaths of his friends — one was killed in March, the other in August — Lacsamana, a librarian by profession, started collecting reports and archival data on hate crimes. With the help of Labilles, he is now bent on calling the attention of the government regarding hate crimes.
Lacsamana, who is also openly gay, said there is a need for legislation protecting the LGBT community from these brutal crimes. Based on the group’s study, victims of hate crimes endure gruesome deaths like being stabbed multiple times, raped, tortured, suffocated, dismembered or being burned alive.
Labilles is calling on Congress to investigate these crimes and to make people more aware of the LGBT community’s vulnerability to such attacks.
Currently, the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2010 or House Bill 1483, filed by Rep. Teddy Casino of Bayan Muna, remains pending in Congress. The proposed law seeks to protect LGBTs against unlawful discrimination in employment, education, health services, public service, commercial and medical establishments including protection from police and military harassment.
Without a law in the country that explicitly deals with hate crimes, most killings involving the LGBTs are simply reported generically as murders or homicides, with no provisions for deconstructing and analyzing the reports along the sector’s concerns.
“Just imagine those that are unreported or are just categorized as mere robberies,” Lacsamana said.
The group is reaching out to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Philippine National Police to help them verify each of the reported cases and to help identify other victims of hate crimes.
While the group attests that a more thorough analysis of the reported cases is needed to verify that these are indeed prejudiced or hate crimes, they consider the killed individuals as victims of hate crimes because they are members of a minority group.
“At this point, we’re not sure if these are hate crimes,” Lacsamana said. “But we are sure that there are dead people who are victims from the LGBT community.”
For their part, the CHR welcomes the study from the Hate Crime Watch and invited them to send their study to them.
“It’s a cause of concern for the CHR,” said lawyer Chris Ocampo, CHR executive assistant. “The CHR is already attending various fora on LGBT rights with these reported cases.”
Earlier this month, actor-director Ricky Rivero was stabbed in his apartment by Hans Ivan Ruiz, a friend he met through Facebook. Rivero sustained 17 stab wounds but survived the attack. In a recent interview, Rivero admitted that he had sexual relations with Ruiz, whose girlfriend is said to be pregnant.
Rivero allegedly woke up being stabbed by Ruiz. It was just the fourth time that Rivero allowed Ruiz to sleep over at his apartment.
With the spate of crimes committed against members of the LGBT community, Lacsamana said they can’t help but live in fear.
“We feel like sitting ducks,” he said. “We aren’t sure who will attack us next.”
Lacsamana said the LGBT community is most vulnerable online, especially on Facebook, when they are “looking for love”. He said the gay community shouldn’t be blamed if they become too trusting.
“Most homosexuals have clear intentions,” he said. “They’re just looking for love.”
Based on the group’s study, Mindanao is the most dangerous region for lesbians with six out of 12 having been killed. Most of the victims are between the ages of 25 and 44. Of the six killed in Mindanao, two were shot; two others were stabbed; one was killed with a blunt object; while another died of unknown cases.
Meanwhile, the Greater Manila Area is the deadliest for gays, bisexuals and transgendered with a total of 42 deaths. Based on recent figures, 28 of those killed were gays, 12 were transgendered, while 2 were bisexuals. Most of the victims died from multiple stab wounds.
Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol, Philippines on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
rain, rain, go away.
come again another day.
untitled on Flickr.
Camotes Island is a little known island in Cebu, Philippines, it is located in the northern part of the mainland Cebu.
I came across with the island when we had an organized outing with office colleagues. I can say that it is organized since:
1.) Right after the Christmas Season it was planned.
And it’s for summer, in our case it was prepared four months prior.
2.) We created a biscuit canister to make it as our coin bank. And every day after paydays, collection is made.
3.) Teaser were made, like:
- Count down on the event day was posted in our office wall.
- Friendster update was keep on posted. (Facebook at the time on process of brewing to destroy Friendster).
- A talk during breaks and during working hours and month-end reports preparations.
- Camotes Tourism poster was posted in the office wall.
The hype was almost recoiled due to issues with the company, at the time, labor disputes was in the helm for election. The executives were concerned if we could go to work right after our company outing, the day of the election because they’re pretty much sure that they will have our nays.
The day before the event, department’s manager back-out due to issues with co-executives. Almost all had fell-out, they are suggesting to move the date, but we are taking advantage of the long weekends. Until, almost everyone decided to go without their consent at the same time we are doing it outside the company. Though, HR colleagues who wanted to go, backed out with the advice of their department head.
Everyone had iron out individual concerns and wrinkles were pressed. Majority decided to go. Until executives gave in and donated few bucks at Php1,500.
The day came, it’s time to commute.
So long that the same event keep lingers on my memories when I came to reminisce beaches. It was indeed a first white beach experience.
From Cebu City, we drove to Danao City for a motorized boat going to the island of Camotes.
Going there:
The pier has yet on early phase of developments.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by throng of locals, like a typical province mixed with modernization and commercialization. A usual airport scene that guest were greeted with placards inscribing there names on it. We also got one, since a whole day tour was arrange during our arrival.
About 10 minutes travel by a multicab, we reached our destination. The Santiago Bay Garden and Resort.
Above. Only from the outside. Let’s see the inside.
In Santiago Bay alone you, the sand is so pristine and the water is crystal clear. A long stretch of sand during low tide.
Right after we arrived, we need to make most of our stay. Just after we had our breakfast, we immediately take our island tour. Our first stop,The Buho Garden - buho is the vernacular means hole which in my own interpretations, a hole in the cliff. The place was an abandoned resort. You can see the dilapidated swimming pool and damaged structures. I can say that the place is actually eerie and enchanted, you can feel it there, but the place is actually awesome. The feeling of coldness and the feeling that you are small creature standing in that cliffs surrounded by a vast seascape.
Above photo is a platform that could be use as a diving platform. You could also use the ladder (on the left) to go down. We actually wanted to take the plunge but the hearsay on its mystery forbid us. As we were able to see a strange coral from above, just beneath the ladder. But the view itself was amazing. Crabs were so plenty to find and nobody taking them.
Next is the Danao Lake. A long travel was on our way. As you could see the map below, there were 3 major islands in Camotes. We were at the other island, which we need to hop to get to Danao Lake.
But that as you get there, the island was separated by a mangrove forest, and a swampy area. They were able to build a road that connect both islands.
The lake is figure-eight-shaped body of water since it has two isles on it which was inhabited by a crocodile until it’s last individual was killed on 1971.
Above is one of the two islands in Danao Lake, which make it the number eight figure.
So much fun in the lake, we make our final destination before going back to our resort where we stay. Next stop is the Mangodlong Rock Resort.
Me with a friend while looking for treasures in the seaside.
After Mangodlong Rock Resort, we went back to our destination, to enjoy the night.
A beachfront camping and swimming. And I don’t feel a cool breeze of air during the swim over starry night and waxing moon. So relaxing to take a dip in the salty water and enjoy the whole night, ideal for couples and yet I don’t have someone to share the night.
The next day we woke up the from the beachfront camping tent over the rising sun just in our front.
Eating in the beach front, with tinola, from freshly caught fish just in front. Soup to quench the thirst from a drinking session.
To be continue…
“Island”
- Jaypee Martin :)
The Endless Summers by Tomasito.! on Flickr.
so i’m reading about the Aswang…it’s basically a Filipino witch that eats unborn babies. and found this bit kind of really funny:
“Throwing semen at aswang is also said to irritate them. Along with semen, phallic objects are supposed to make the aswang terrified.” -via Wikipedia
LOL gross.
more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswang
Out At Sea
Taoist Temple in Cebu, Philippines
