House OKs bill regulating freedom of religion on third and final reading

The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on Monday a bill regulating the free exercise of religion.

This developed after House Bill 6492 gained 256 yes votes, one no vote and three abstentions during Monday’s plenary session.

House Bill 6492 also prohibits acts that curtail or violate the rights of a person to religious freedom such as compelling a person—by means of force, threat, intimidation or undue influence—to commit an act which is in violation of one's religious belief or conscience; and defaming, harassing, humiliating or offending a person by reason of one's religious belief or the practice of such belief.

The bill also notes that the right to freedom of religion of a group or individual "can be denied, regulated, burdened, or curtailed" only if it can be demonstrated that it results in violence or inflicts "direct or indirect physical or material harm or danger on other people, or infringe[s] on their own freedom of religion or conscience," and if it is necessary "to protect public safety, public order, health, property and good morals."

"The right of every Filipino to profess, practice, and propagate religious beliefs must always be recognized, respected, allowed and protected. Towards this end, the state must ensure that no act of the government or any of its agencies, instrumentalities, officers or employees shall burden, curtail, impinge or encroach on the person’s right to exercise one’s religious belief, freedom and liberty of conscience,’ the bill read.

"In addition, the government must also prohibit any act by a person, natural or juridical, or any group of persons that burdens, curtails, impinges or encroaches on the said right," it added.

Violations of the abovementioned provisions are punishable with a fine ranging from P100,000 to P2 million pesos and six to 10 years' jail time for both individual and juridical entity violators.

House Bill 6492’s principal author, Benny Abante of Manila earlier accepted the amendment pitched by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, which provides that real properties of any church or organization which are used for religious and/or commercial and proprietary purposes will be taxed accordingly with respect to non-religious purposes for which they generate income.

House Bill 6492 also promotes the right to freedom against discrimination in educational institutions, the right of companies or businesses to be founded on religious belief, and the right of parents or legal guardians to rear children. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA Integrated News