Rep. Geraldine Roman of Bataan
Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman on Tuesday denied telling the janitress in last week’s restroom incident in Quezon City to “shut up,” and defended anew the transwoman who was barred from using the female restroom.
Roman, the country’s first transgender legislator, last week rushed to the police station in support of Gretchen Diez, the 28-year-old transwoman who was brought to authorities after taking live videos of mall personnel.
Farmers’ Plaza mall janitress Chayra Ganal had asked Diez to transfer to the male restroom after two women complained of Diez’s presence in the female restroom.
“It’s not true I told her (Ganal) to shut up, that’s a big lie. Everything is on video. In fact, she was the one who walked out on me. I was telling her and explaining to her the importance of treating all human beings with respect and dignity,” Roman told PressOne.PH in a chance interview.
Ganal said on Monday she tried to explain her side to Roman.
Read: PressOnePH Exclusive: Janitress in LGBT firestorm speaks up
Roman however claimed Ganal, 25, had “anger management issues,” but acknowledged that the janitress later wrote a letter of apology.
“I, as a congresswoman, I’m used to listening to all opinions. I would never tell anyone to shut up. It’s very unfair of her. And I have the video. I could easily sue her for libel. But I won’t do it,” she said.
In contrast, she claimed, Diez was “meek as a lamb” (maamong tupa) when she was brought to Station 7 of the Quezon City Police District.
“In fairness to Gretchen Diez, she made a public appeal to stop bullying or bashing the janitress and she gracefully accepted the apology despite the fact na, kitang-kita n’yo naman sa video, napaka-coarse, napaka, I don’t know how to describe it, how humiliating `yung treatment na binigay sa kanya,” Roman said.
‘Full of hatred’
Roman deplored Diez’s bashers, saying “religious conservatives” were “very judgmental, citing bible verses,” and “full of hatred.”
“This has to stop. I think we have to take the higher moral ground, and focus on the lessons to be learned from this experience, in order to prevent similar incidents,” she said.
Roman said that as a legislator, she also went to the police station to see how local gender ordinances were being implemented, to help her fine-tune her proposed anti-discrimination or “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality” Bill.
The lawmaker cited various protocol “violations” by the police, such as taking Diez to the hospital for a checkup and putting handcuffs on her.
“Immediately poposasan sa likod na wala pa `yung susi (she was handcuffed and the key went missing). I don’t know if that was intentional or not,” she said.
On Monday, Roman accompanied Diez and other SOGIE Bill advocates to a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.
“Siguro, nakita ng president the reaction nationwide, and how people of goodwill have expressed their opinion against the treatment that Gretchen received and they want to extend protection to prevent these incidents, not only for Gretchen but for the entire LGBT community,” she said.
Below is the transcript of PressOne.PH’s interview with Representative Roman:
PressOne.PH: Yesterday we were able to interview the janitress, Chayra Ganal…
Rep. Geraldine Roman: It’s not true I told her (Ganal) to shut up, that’s a big lie. Everything is on video. In fact, she was the one who walked out on me. I was telling her and explaining to her the importance of treating all human beings with respect and dignity. Sabi ko pa nga sa kanya, gugustuhin n’yo bang gawin `yan sa inyo? But in the middle of my lecture, she waked out on me … She was the one with anger management issues.
I, as a congresswoman, I’m used to listening to all opinions. I would never tell anyone to shut up. It’s very unfair of her. And I have the video. I could easily sue her for libel. But I won’t do it.
PressOne.PH: This video, are you willing to…
Roman: Oh yeah. `Yung live video ni Gretchen (Diez), `yun `yung nag-record ng police station, when I told her (Ganal), ‘Okay, why don’t we go back to Farmers Market, and you stop me from going to the bathroom.’ And then I told her, ‘Gusto kong maunawaan mo kung bakit hindi tama ang ginawa mo. Dahil kapwa Pilipino natin `yan, kapwa tao. Walang taong, nobody deserves na tratuhin ng ganu’ng humiliation.’ And then she stood up and walked out on me.
PressOne.PH: Other than that, may mga iba pa kayong holes na nakita sa testimony niya (janitress)?
Roman: Wala na e, but she wrote an apology letter, she recognized her fault. But more than that I cannot, as a legislator I’m only concerned about the legal aspect. And it’s not even my jurisdiction. It depends on the executive branch of Quezon City to see if there was a violation of their gender-fair ordinance, and if that person or establishment can be held liable. It’s really beyond my jurisdiction. Ako naman, I’m more on the policy. I want to see if the experience of having an anti-discrimination ordinance can be projected nationwide. This is like a test case. I want to see if this is going to be positive. How it’s being implemented. And that will help us, maybe fine-tune the SOGIE Equality Bill.
PressOne.PH: Chayra is crying over-sensationalism and also the abuse she is getting from the LGBT community.
Roman: You know what? In fairness to Gretchen Diez, she made a public appeal to stop bullying or bashing the janitress and she gracefully accepted the apology despite the fact na, kitang-kita n’yo naman sa video, napaka-coarse, napaka, I don’t know how to describe it, how humiliating `yung treatment na binigay sa kanya. If it had been a violent person, baka nasuntok rin `yung janitress. Pero hindi naman ganu’n e. Napaka-kalma, parang maamong tupa na dinadala si Gretchen, first, du’n sa medical center, and then later on to the police station. Of course, she was complaining, and asking, why, what are the charges. There were various violations of protocol. Like for example, you don’t have to bring Gretchen to a medical center when she has not yet been sentenced, and she’s not yet going to jail. You carry out a medical examination to make sure there won’t be torture, because ikukulong na talaga. I mean bakit `yung protocol, immediately poposasan sa likod na wala pa `yung susi. I don’t know if that was intentional or not.
But beyond that, this is not a contest of who’s the victim here. This is a question of being objective. Was the treatment of Gretchen Diez, the right kind of treatment and the treatment we want for all Filipinos? And all fellow men and women? I believe the answer is no. Nobody deserves that kind of treatment. Even in the remotest possibility that she was guilty of something, may rights din naman ang mga naakusahan. Definitely, the verbal abuse to which she was subjected was uncalled for.
PressOne.PH: Do you think there’s a possibility that this SOGIE bill could be used to victimize others…, like what happened to Chayra, some of the LGBT community members … could be using the sensation to abuse Chayra…
Roman: No, the bill will not be used to, the bill does not exist at the moment, there is no SOGIE Equality Law and bashing is happening. But, the person herself, Gretchen does not tolerate this, she has clearly called for a stop to the bashing.
But, by the way, bashing is two ways. Matatakot ka du’n sa mga comments especially coming from the religious conservatives. Very judgmental, citing bible verses. Full of hatred, really. So, this has to stop. I think we have to take the higher moral ground, and focus on the lessons to be learned from this experience, in order to prevent similar incidents. There should also be humility on the part of the janitress. She wrote an apology letter. Nobody coerced her into doing that. She recognized her lack of knowledge of LGBT rights and her willingness to learn, which is something welcome. Walang mawawala kung mga tao tuturuan ng magandang asal. Yu’n lang naman e. Huwag mo nang sabihin gender sensitivity, magandang asal na lang, menos katarayan, and more amiability.
PressOne.PH: Last night, Malacañang said it was in support of the SOGIE Equality Bill.
Roman: Siguro, nakita ng president `yung the reaction nationwide, and how people of goodwill have expressed their opinion against the treatment that Gretchen received and they want to extend protection to prevent these incidents, not only for Gretchen but for the entire LGBT community.
And sabi ni Mr. President, I think I read that news article, na, we have to be a country of acceptance and tolerance and inclusion. We may be diverse, but there should be a space for everyone. We would not exclude any Filipino. I think that’s the principle behind their support. (PressOne.PH)