By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

 
MANILA, Philippines -- A bill that seeks to criminalize mimicking or imitating a person's way of speaking particularly his peculiar accent or diction in an insulting and degrading manner has been approved by a committee at the House of Representatives.

House Bill 948 authored by Lanao del Sur Representative Representative Faysah Dumarpa was approved for floor deliberations by the committee on national cultural communities headed by Benguet Representative Samuel Dangwa.

Dumarpa's bill seeks to prohibit religious or racial discrimination against Muslim and other members of the cultural minorities.

It proposes a fine of P200 to P6,000 or penalties of arresto mayor (one month to six months imprisonment) to prision correctional (six months to six year imprisonment) for violators.

Aside from mimickry or imitation, the proposed legislation also penalizes those who would subject any person to "unnecessary, unjustified, illegal and degrading search because of his manner of clothing, religion, color, creed, and ethnic identity."

"Discriminating a person who is applying for a job just because of his name, religion or ethnic background might also be a ground for imprisonment," Dumarpa said in a statement on Thursday.

The bill also provides that a person wearing a traditional costume, veil or turban should be allowed to enter business establishments such as restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and similar places.

They should also be allowed to ride or passenger buses, taxis, ship or airplanes, Dumarpa said.

Dumarpa said the passage of the measure would "effectively institutionalize the constitutional guarantee of equal protection and religious freedom to all persons, regardless of their cultural background, or chosen form of religion."

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