Diskriminasyon sa katutubo

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | September 28, 2022

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ako ay miyembro ng Katutubong Aeta. Nang ako ay nag-a-apply sa trabaho, sinabihan ako ng human resource personnel na hindi diumano sila tumatanggap ng mga katutubo. Tama ba ito? - Kara

Dear Kara,

Para sa iyong kaalaman, nakasaad sa Seksyon 23 at 24 ng Republic Act No. 8371 o mas kilala bilang “The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997” na binibigyan ng pantay na karapatan ang mga katutubong Pilipino pagdating sa trabaho. Maliwanag na isinasaad dito na:

“SECTION 23. Freedom from Discrimination and Right to Equal Opportunity and Treatment. — It shall be the right of the ICCs/IPs to be free from any form of discrimination, with respect to recruitment and conditions of employment, such that they may enjoy equal opportunities for admission to employment, medical and social assistance, safety as well as other occupationally-related benefits, informed of their rights under existing labor legislation and of means available to them for redress, not subject to any coercive recruitment systems, including bonded labor and other forms of debt servitude; and equal treatment in employment for men and women, including the protection from sexual harassment.

Towards this end, the State shall, within the framework of national laws and regulations, and in cooperation with the ICCs/IPs concerned, adopt special measures to ensure the effective protection with regard to the recruitment and conditions of employment of persons belonging to these communities, to the extent that they are not effectively protected by laws applicable to workers in general.

ICCs/IPs shall have the right to association and freedom for all trade union activities and the right to conclude collective bargaining agreements with employers’ organizations. They shall likewise have the right not to be subject to working conditions hazardous to their health, particularly through exposure to pesticides and other toxic substances.

SECTION 24. Unlawful Acts Pertaining to Employment. — It shall be unlawful for any person:

a) To discriminate against any ICC/IP with respect to the terms and conditions of employment on account of their descent. Equal remuneration shall be paid to ICC/IP and non-ICC/IP for work of equal value; and

b) To deny any ICC/IP employee any right or benefit herein provided for or to discharge them for the purpose of preventing them from enjoying any of the rights or benefits provided under this Act.” (Binigyang-diin)

Samakatwid, ipinagbabawal ng batas ang anumang uri ng diskriminasyon sa pagpasok sa trabaho at iba pang kondisyon ng pamamasukan laban sa mga katutubong Pilipino. Kung malalabag ito, maaaring magsampa ng kaukulang kaso sa korte ang katutubo para mabigyang-hustisya ang pagdiskrimina sa kanya.

Kaya naman, pinapayuhan ka namin na kumunsulta sa pinakamalapit na tanggapan ng Public Attorney’s Office o PAO upang mabigyan ka namin ng kaukulang legal na tulong kaugnay ng iyong kinakaharap na suliranin.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.