Sotto: Cleaner who led Gretchen out of restroom only doing her job

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday came to the defense of the cleaning lady who led transgender woman Gretchen Diez out of a women's restroom in a mall in Quezon City last week.

Sotto said that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident shows that some women were complaining about the presence of Diez inside the restroom.

“Kita daw some women were complaining about the presence of [Diez] in the line inside the women’s CR,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

“Therefore, the janitress was only doing her job when she asked [Diez] to transfer to the men’s or PWD CR. She [Diez] did but came back angrily,” he added.

Sotto said he also got a copy of the affidavits of witnesses and other cleaning staff and security officers.

He said he will be providing the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros, a copy of the footage and the documents.

Diez, in an interview with reporters, said she was just about to fall in line when the cleaner blocked her.

“Papila pa lang po ako sa pila ng mga babae hinarang na po niya ako. Sinabi niya sa akin na dun ako sa CR na panglalaki,” she said.

She said that when she asked the cleaner why she stopped her from using the women's restroom, the latter did not say that there were women complaining about her.

“Nung nagtanong ako kung ano ang nilabag ko, napakadaling sagutin na may nagreklamo sa iyong kababaihan kaya ka namin pinaalis [pero] wala pong report  ng pangalan o alyas ng mga babae  na nagreklamo sa akin,” said Diez.

She added that she is ready to see the CCTV footage.

“Meron daw pong CCTV, bakit hindi po nila ilabas. Ready po kami, na ilabas nila ang CCTV footage at ang videos ko rin po ay available din,” she said.

Diez also said that the apology issued by Farmers’ Plaza is solid proof that she was not treated well.

“Napakatibay na ebidensiya na nag-release ang Farmers’ Plaza ng apology sa akin.  Bakit ka mag-a-apologize kung alam mo na ang isang tao ay hindi gumawa ng kasalanan sa sarili mong establishment,” she said.

Diez was handcuffed and brought to the police after taking a video while she was in the mall's security office. The video shows the cleaner speaking harshly to her and hitting her. It was hours before she was released.

She filed a complaint against Araneta Center Inc., Starline Security Agency, Inc., and the sanitation services agency contracted by the Araneta Center, Inc. for violation of the city's Gender Fair Ordinance.

The ordinance penalizes discrimination against the LGBT community, including heckling, verbal or non-verbal ridicule and vilification, and the refusal of services and accommodations based on a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE).

The ordinance also requires government agencies, private offices, and commercial establishments to designate toilet rooms and lavatories labeled “all gender” comfort rooms. — BM, GMA News