MANILA - Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte condemned Wednesday the detention of a transgender woman for using the female comfort room inside a mall.
Gretchen Custodio Diez, 28, was barred by a janitress from using the women's comfort room at a mall on Tuesday.
She was detained after the mall's management filed an unjust vexation complaint against her for recording the incident on Facebook.
She was later released and in turn filed a complaint against the shopping mall for violating the city ordinance.
Mayor Belmonte said the mall "clearly violated" the city's gender fair ordinance which prohibits business establishments to discriminate people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.
The mayor said she has ordered the Business Permit and Licensing Department to ensure establishments follow the ordinance.
"We do not support any kind of violence and discrimination in our city. Sa atin pong LGBT+ community, protektado ang karapatan ninyo sa QC," Belmonte said.
"I will still fight for what is right 'yung violation against sa city ordinance sa Quezon City. Papatunayan natin sa lahat na may pangil ang batas na may karapatan po tayo na gamitin at magkaroon ng access sa pampublikong lugar," she said.
"It should not happen in Quezon City. It should not happen anywhere in the Philippines," she added.
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