Transgender woman Roi Galfo will not tolerate discrimination.
The endless cycle of discrimination and prejudice she had experienced at work forced her to take a stand.
Galfo, 34, ran as councilor in Barangay Gen. T. De Leon in听Valenzuela City in the recently concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan听(SK) elections, turning herself into a gay rights advocate from an听ordinary call center employee.
In her first attempt to seek public office, Galfo promoted herself as the 鈥渇ierce lady in听action鈥� and the 鈥渘ew face of anti-discrimination鈥� in her village.
鈥淎ll I wanted was a gender-fair city, and I wanted it to start in my barangay,鈥� Galfo听told听听in an interview.
When Galfo finished high school in year 2000, she said she decided to become a woman. Luckily, her parents were supportive of her transition to a new life as a transgender听woman.
鈥淭hey learned how to accept me as I was growing up,鈥� she said.
After earning a degree in Tourism from Airlink International Aviation College, Galfo got听a job as a personal assistant of former Valenzuela City Vice Mayor Jing Hernandez听and later worked at various call centers in Metro Manila.
From her experience, Galfo said members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community were 鈥渕ost听vulnerable鈥� to incidents of bullying and bigotry.
鈥淚 wanted to spread unity, love, respect, and compassion. I know how it feels to be听discriminated, and I know how it feels to have no one there to help you,鈥� she said.
Discrimination, humiliation
Galfo recaled that she was training for a sales customer service representative听post at a call center in Quezon City in November 2016 when he experienced workplace discrimination.
After a long day at work, she said she decided to freshen up before going home, but the human resources manager refused to allow her to use the women鈥檚 rest room.
The manager reportedly announced to her co-workers that they must only use听comfort rooms 鈥渁ccording to the gender they were born with.鈥�
鈥溾�榊ung mga transgender agent na iyan, mag-CR (comfort room) kayo kung ano ang听gender niyo nung pinanganak kayo!鈥� Galfo quoted the HR manager as saying.
Since she knew that was the only transgender at the听company, she said she felt defenseless and humiliated before听everybody.
鈥淒o you know that feeling when you鈥檙e humiliated in front of many people, and you听can鈥檛 even defend yourself?鈥� Galfo asked.
Furious, Galfo decided to resign from the company immediately. She, however, took next step: file a case before the Department of Labor听and Employment (DOLE) and the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
鈥淚 told myself that other transgender women like me shouldn鈥檛 have to go through [an experience like] this,鈥� Galfo said. The cases, however, didn鈥檛 prosper as the HR manager never showed up in the hearings scheduled by the angencies.
鈥淭he DOLE gave me a referral letter to file the case at the NRLC, and the NLRC, after听making me wait for months, told me that the case should be filed before courts,鈥� she听said.
鈥淣othing happened. The respondent never showed up. I was thinking, how do others听who were discriminated like me deal with this kind of situation?鈥� she lamented.
Losing hope
A year after the incident, Galfo said she started to lose. So she decided to elevate the case to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
鈥淭he cases already went through the DOLE and the NLRC, but it appeared that听nothing was going to happen,鈥� Galfo said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know where to go. My mind was a mess. If the cases were听hopeless, I鈥檇 rather die instead of slowly suffering from depression.鈥�
In December 2017, Galfo sent an email to the CHR stating her intent to听commit suicide.
鈥淚 was shocked that I got a reply from the chairman [Chito Gascon]. He asked me to go to his office听on that same day. I sent them an email at听1:00 a.m., 听chairman Gascon replied at听2:30 a.m.,鈥� she said.
鈥淗e told me that I should not commit听suicide, that life was important,鈥� she said. In January this year, the CHR commenced its investigation on the case.
Criminal cases
On听April 13, with the backing of the CHR and the Quezon City Protection Council,听Galfo filed a criminal case before the Quezon City Prosecutor鈥檚 Office.
In her complaint, Galfo formally accused Miguel Yango, the HR manager of听 the company he had previously worked for in Quezon City, of violating the city鈥檚 鈥済ender-fair鈥� ordinance, which prohibits听discrimination against LGBT members.
However, as in previous scheduled听 hearings, the听respondent didn鈥檛 show up in the first hearing set by Assistant City听Prosecutor Maria Luz Coles on May 16.
鈥淭he prosecutor told me to attend the hearing again next week (May 23). She will听cancel the hearing if the respondent will not show up again,鈥� Galfo told听听in a text message. 鈥淪he will [then] decide on what to do next.鈥�
Galfo added that according to the prosecutor, 鈥渢here was no motion to dismiss the听case鈥� and 鈥渘o further postponement will be听granted unless on exceptional meritorious grounds.鈥�
A new beginning
Meanwhile. the CHR referred Galfo to several LGBT support groups such as the Asean Sogie Caucus,听an organization of gay activists from eight Southeast Asian countries.
A bill mandating the equal protection of members of the LGBT community is pending before Congress.
READ: Duterte asked to end discrimination, push for passage of Sogie bill
The passage of the Sogie Equality Bill was unopposed at the House of听Representatives in 2017. However, the legislation is still up for the third and final听reading at the Senate.
鈥淚 studied the Sogie Equality Bill, and I just don鈥檛 get it why it hasn鈥檛 [been] passed yet. I feel听that politicians were only using us, members of the LGBT, during election campaigns,鈥澨鼼alfo lamented.
The gay rights advocate has also been invited for a discussion on LGBT rights at the National Youth Commission (NYC) by one of its听commissioners, Rhea Penaflor.
Among the topics discussed was NYC鈥檚听officer-in-charge Ronald Cardema鈥檚 statement that the NYC was 鈥渘ot an LGBT commission.鈥�
听
In a Malaca帽ang press briefing in April, Cardema said that the NYC would focus more听on programs aligned with President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 鈥渄esired policies.鈥�
READ: National Youth Commission cuts ties with TAYO Awards Foundation
鈥淚 was furious when I was telling him during that meeting that he was not with us (the听LGBT community). He told me it was not what he meant, but I said it was clear听that his office is closing its doors to the LGBT [community],鈥� Galfo said. 鈥淚 even scoffed at him, telling him the LGBT would put up its own national听commission, and we would seek to abolish the NYC,鈥� she added.
However, the discussion ended well. 鈥淚 just told him that he should not repeat听making such statements.
Village elections
As an LGBT rights advocate, Galfo said she believes she needs to take her fight to the next听level: as a councilor in her own village, which has 40,000 registered voters.
She disclosed that her fellow听villagers 听were 鈥渟hocked鈥� by her bid to run for office.
鈥淎t first, they told me I was not yet ready, considering that 37 aspiring candidates听were running for only seven council seats,鈥� Galfo said. 鈥淏ut during my campaign, I told everyone that I would be the new face of anti-discrimination. I promised to fight for what is right, not just for me, but also for others听in need.
Galfo鈥檚 campaign machinery was made up of only her parents, close friends and听other relatives.
鈥淭hey helped me print and put up my tarpaulins, and they helped my campaign by听word of mouth,鈥� Galfo said. 鈥淚 only had a few days to conduct a house-to-house campaign,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was听friendly with everyone. I even took selfies with other candidates.鈥�
But when the winners were announced on election day, it wasn鈥檛 the result she was expecting. She lost her first bid for public office.
鈥淚 was expecting to win鈥ut听it was intense. There were even reports of vote-buying. But yes, I just thought听that maybe it wasn鈥檛 my time yet,鈥� Galfo lamented. 鈥淚 learned that I have to prepare more. I can say that I became more confident despite听losing because I know that I fought fair. Not only that, I also made friends along the听way.鈥�
Moving forward
Even after her defeat in the election and with the labor cases she filed in court still pending, Galfo is not giving up.
鈥淚 will still push forward with my ambition to become听a politician,鈥� she said.
The gay rights advocate is now applying for a听position at the National Youth Commission. 鈥淚 wanted to be a part of their planning team, or maybe their gender and development听team,鈥� she said.
But Galfo stressed that her legal battles weren鈥檛 over.
鈥淲hile I intend to finish this discrimination case first, I will continue to help. I will always be an anti-discrimination advocate,鈥� she said. /ee
(PHOTOS from Roi Galfo鈥檚 Facebook page).