A Filipino father has told police he drunkenly attacked his son after learning that three of his children were gay.
The Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch said today that 19-year-old Edmund Padilla was left with burns and blisters after his father, Erano, attacked him with boiling water.
Erano Padilla reportedly told police he attacked his son as a result of pent-up feelings experienced when he found out three of his children were gay. He has been charged and detained.
The PLHCW is calling for justice for Edmund Padilla and for tougher national action by the government.
Reighben Labilles, a spokesperson for the PLHCW, said: “We plead to the government to initiate pro-active programs that provides parents and LGBT children the opportunities to promote freedom of expression of sexuality and gender.
“In a free society, the parents should respect the rights of their LGBT children and stop altogether corporal punishment. We are born this way and you cannot punish us to change our sexuality.”
Labilles added: “Since Edmund Padilla is already 19 years old, he may no longer be covered by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and our national child protection laws, yet we fear that so many violent acts perpetrated by parents and legal guardians against their LGBT children go unreported.
“It is so urgent for Congress to find ways to protect sons and daughters of whatever age from family-based violence and the Convention is a good place to start.”
Last week, the PLHCW called on President Benigno Aquino III to address the violation of LGBT Filipinos’ rights following the landmark Geneva speech by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for renewed efforts to protect gays’ human rights.
Marlon Lacsamana, the group’s founder, said: “LGBTs in the Philippines are still on the receiving end of stigma, hatred, violence, exclusion, homophobia, transphobia and discrimination. The statement from Secretary Clinton hits close to home as she was speaking of conditions present in our country.
“We hope this will be considered by President Aquino’s administration to encourage the full implementation of human rights protections of LGBTs in law, policies and programmes.”
The PLHCW says 147 LGBT people have been murdered since 1996, with an estimated 37 murders recorded in 2011 alone.
by Stephen Gray
Source – PinkNews
