Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Members and supporters of the LGBT from various groups take part at the annual gay pride march in Quezon City, northeast of Manila on 05 December 2015. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community states that all people regardless of their sexual orientation should have equal rights despite harsh criticisms in this pre-dominantly Catholic country. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176456878732320151205-lgbt-pridemarch-gcalvelo.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members and supporters of the LGBT from various groups take part at the annual gay pride march in Quezon City, northeast of Manila on 05 December 2015. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community states that all people regardless of their sexual orientation should have equal rights despite harsh criticisms in this pre-dominantly Catholic country. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Commission on Human Rights has launched an investigation into a controversial policy in Maguindanao del Sur that targets LGBTQ individuals.</p><p>Several queer organizations in November <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1257959296364281&amp;set=a.632774008882816">condemned the &quot;Operation Supak&quot;</a> in Barangay Layog, Pagalungan, Maguindanao del Sur, where village officials — according to CHR, citing a local news report — visited homes of persons perceived to be lesbian or gay.</p><p>Those LGBTQ people were then &quot;compelled&quot; to report to the barangay hall, while same-sex couples living together were &quot;forcibly separated,&quot; it said.</p><p>&quot;In the recorded interview, a Barangay Official explained that the actions of the couples are prohibited in the laws of men and are much more prohibited by Islam,&quot; the agency added.</p><p>In a statement on November 27, CHR expressed &quot;grave concern&quot; over the anti-queer policy, saying &quot;actions of this nature violate the dignity and rights of LGBTQIA persons.&quot;</p><p>CHR said it has begun investigating the anti-LGBTQ policy in Maguindanao del Sur and is coordinating with the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission. <strong></strong></p><p>&quot;The alleged acts unlawfully target individuals based on perceived sexual orientation. They subject members of the LGBTQIA community to harassment and discrimination, violation of their rights to privacy, and security of persons,&quot; it said.</p><div><strong></strong></div><p>CHR added: &quot;This conduct possibly breaches constitutional guarantees and international human rights standards, specifically, the equal protection of laws, the principles of non-discrimination, privacy and freedom from arbitrary interference.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/6/2/how-to-be-a-better-lgbtq-ally-1748">How to be a better LGBT ally amid fight for protections, queer rights</a></div><p>The Philippines has been struggling to pass the anti-discrimination SOGIESC Equality Bill despite decades of calls from human rights and LGBTQ organizations. </p><p>The nation also grapples with passing legislation that would allow same-sex partners to marry or enter into unions that grant them the same rights as heterosexual couples.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NO LEGAL BASIS&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong></div><p><strong></strong>The targeting of perceived lesbian and gay couples in the Philippines has no legal basis, CHR said, noting that there is no Philippine law that prohibits women from living with women, or men from living with men.</p><p><strong></strong>The Safe Spaces Act or Republic Act No. 11313 instead penalizes gender-based sexual harassment, including homophobic and transphobic behavior, while the Magna Carta of Women prohibits discrimination against women, including those on the basis of their sexual orientation, it said.</p><p>&quot;The Philippines is a secular State. While the freedom of religion is paramount, and while the Supreme Court has upheld benevolent neutrality/accommodation in the exercise of individual’s religion, these cannot justify actions of government officials, using government resources and facilities to target individuals because of their perceived sexual orientation,&quot; CHR said.</p><p>Public officials, it said, are governed by the rule of law and are expected to uphold constitutional and international human rights obligations &quot;in all circumstances.&quot;</p><p><strong></strong>It also called on the Bangsamoro Rights Commission and the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government to investigate the actions of concerned local officials and ensure possible administrative or criminal accountability.</p><p>CHR said it stands with LGBTQ Filipinos, adding that &quot;acts that target individuals for who they are or whom they love have no place in a society that upholds human rights.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7a_IbbZwxng?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NGPtGS50f2M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong></strong></div>

<p>The Commission on Human Rights has launched an investigation into a controversial policy in Maguindanao del Sur that targets LGBTQ individuals.</p>

The Commission on Human Rights has launched an investigation into a controversial policy in Maguindanao del Sur that targets LGBTQ individuals.

CHR probes anti-gay, lesbian policy in Maguindanao del Sur

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CHR probes anti-gay, lesbian policy in Maguindanao del Sur

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 01, 2025 02:00 PM PHT

Read More:

CHR

Commission on Human Rights

Maguindanao del Sur

LGBT

Gay

Lesbian

LGBTQ

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