It is apparent that even with the safeguards provided by the law in our country, it is not enough to mitigate the discrimination, harassment and violence experienced by the LGBTQ+ community.

The murder of Jessa Shantal Remiendo shows how vulnerable trans people are.

Transgender (or trans) people are considered the most marginalized group among the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and others) community. They are also often targeted by hate crimes and are very vulnerable to being murdered.

In the United States, 19 trans persons have been murdered this year as of the latest count. In the Philippines, there also have been several cases. The latest one happened in the province of Pangasinan.

A transgender woman was found dead on a beach, according to several news reports. The body of Jessa “Shantal” Remiendo was discovered on 17 September in Patar, Bolinao, bloody and bearing several violent hack wounds. Remiendo is said to have been staying with coworkers and her sister at the Valdevia Resort when she disappeared on the night of 16 September. Primary suspects have been identified by Pangasinan police. While motive remains unclear, hate and fear are big factors.

In her Facebook post, Noreen Barber, president of the United Pangasinan Association LGBTQ+, expressed: “Many are still in disbelief over what happened because she was a good person, very kind and diligent. Jessa hailed from the barangay of Pangapisan and worked at a resort in Bolinao. To those who knew her, maybe this is also a sign that all of us need to be careful because hate crimes against us do not discriminate. Until the SOGIE Equality Bill is not passed, we remain to be the most unprotected and neglected sector of our community.”

SOGIE stands for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Several LGBTQ+ groups have condemned the murder.

“We also call on the local government units of Bolinao and Pangasinan to prioritize the resolution of this case, and to enact protective measures for their LGBTQI community in the absence of a national anti-discrimination law,” UP (University of the Philippines) Babaylan said in a statement. “This only stresses the need for the immediate passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill. We demand that our senators do their duty to protect our constitutionally-recognized rights as human beings, and finally pass into law one of the policies that will protect us from discrimination on the basis of our SOGIESC.”

“It is apparent that even with the safeguards provided by the law in our country, it is not enough to mitigate the discrimination, harassment and violence experienced by the LGBTQ+ community. Thus, it is of utmost importance that both Houses of the Philippine Congress pass the SOGIE Equality Bill the soonest to provide a national law that will protect everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE),” the LGBTQ+ Partylist stated.

“Jessa’s death is a tragic loss to the LGBTQ+ community. However, let this remind us of the need to continually push for a more just and inclusive society where people respect each other’s differences and individual rights. Until every LGBTQ+ person and other minorities in the Philippines feel free enough to live their lives without fear of oppression and violence, let us not stop advocating for our rights,” it also said.

“Jennifer. Joy. Barbie. Jessa. Many lives were ended because of hate and violence. And the continued perpetuation of discrimination against the LGBTQI community further enables this climate of hate and violence, where trans persons are most vulnerable,” the Lagablab LGBT Network posted on its Facebook page on 18 September. “Let Jessa not be included in the long list of LGBTQI persons who have suffered and yet failed to achieve justice. End violence and discrimination against LGBTQI individuals.”

Jacqueline Ann de Guia, spokeswoman of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, urges the police to ensure justice for Remiendo.

“Nobody deserves to have their lives to be curtailed at a whim, let alone that the victim is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, a vulnerable sector of our society,” she said. “This incident reminds us all of the need to continue pushing for a more inclusive society that respects the rule of law and the dignity of everyone — regardless of their race, color, gender, creed or class — for we are all humans who are equal before the law, as well as in dignity and rights.”

UP Babaylan says that “brutal hate crimes like this are the most violent expression of the prejudice against people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics.”

It cites a report that says “in the transgender community alone, 29 murders were documented in the Philippines from 2008 to 2015, including the high-profile case of Jennifer Laude.”

The SOGIE Equality or Anti-Discrimination Bill is still being deliberated in the Senate, and there have been many opponents of it.