Metro Manila, anti-discrimination zone, says Nograles

April 20, 2020

Metro Manila is now an anti-discrimination zone for frontliners, particularly healthcare workers who have been engaged in handling coronavirus disease patients, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said on Monday.

"I'm happy to report that according to the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government), all LGUs (local government units) in Metro Manila now have the anti-discrimination ordinance or executive order in place," IATF Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a virtual press briefing.

He said the National Bureau of Investigation also warned those who would engage in threatening, discriminating or attacking the frontliners, saying they would be penalized.

Nograles urged the public to report to NBI any incident of discrimination or harassment of the frontliners.

There were reports of discrimination and harassment of some healthcare workers in the past. While these frontliners are called as heroes, some people were afraid that they are carriers of of COVID-19. Celerina Monte/DMS