Junjie Bangkiao and Ebeng Mayor are but two of the too many Filipino LGBTQIA+ community members who were victims of hate crimes in the country.
BY REIN TARINAY
Bulatlat.com
The LGBT community and its allies took to Twitter to press justice for the rape-slay of Ebeng Mayor.
On May 20, 2021, transmasculine Ebeng Mayor, a resident of Batasan Hills, QC, was found dead with evidence of brutality, mutilation and rape after being reported missing for 3 days. Ebeng’s body was bloodied, bruised, with legs sprawled with a wooden stick impaled into their genitals.
In a separate incident, the body of Junjie Bangkiao, a transwoman, was also found in the middle of the cemetery in Alangalang, Leyte.
In a statement, LGBTQIA+ group Bahaghari highlighted that they cannot allow to persist this culture of impunity that has long hounded members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“As we seek justice for Ebeng, we also demand accountability from the current administration, headed by President Rodrigo Duterte, that has unwaveringly perpetuated the culture of violence against the LGBT+. We have not forgotten the scheming, flip-flopping position of Duterte on the SOGIE Equality Bill that has languished for 21 years in Congress, his military lockdowns that have further enabled authorities to arrest, abuse, and sexually violate members of the LGBT+ community.” the group added.
Related story: #PRIDE20: Queer activists, supporters arrested during a Pride Protest
[TW: HATE CRIME]
WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR EBENG MAYOR, AND PROTECTION FOR THE LGBTQIA+!!! #JusticeForEbengMayor pic.twitter.com/CKvP8huZVw
— Gaspard || eiz day! ?? (@jaenacea) May 22, 2021
TW: Rape, hate crime, violence, brutality
“Metro Manila Pride calls for real and urgent solutions to this violence that continues to threaten the trans community.”
Metro Manila Pride’s statement on the brutal rape and killing of Ebeng Mayor.#JusticeForEbengMayor pic.twitter.com/ohGIUK60nf
— Metro Manila Pride (@mmprideorg) May 21, 2021
(TW: hate crime, rape)
JUSTICE FOR EBENG MAYOR! LAUNCH AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AND PASS THE SOGIE EQUALITY BILL NOW!
“Today, Ebeng was found bloodied and bruised, a wooden stick impaled into their genitals.”#JusticeForEbengMayor#TransLivesMatter#AchibDisBill#PassADBNow pic.twitter.com/MS4Vr5Fd9k
— Bahaghari ?? ?????#TransLivesMatter (@Bahaghari_PH) May 21, 2021
the exact reason behind our impulse towards the immediate passing of sogie bill. lgbtqia+ community doesn’t deserve to live this way.
isa ‘tong patunay na ang sogie bill ay hindi debate. kailangan namin ‘to— para samin, ‘di para sainyo.#JusticeForEbengMayor pic.twitter.com/Kw07LKNN84
— Yuan Gonzales (@yuangonzaIes) May 22, 2021
What did trans people ever do for them to be treated like this? This is obviously a hate crime. This is transphobia in the flesh! Pass the SOGIE Equality Bill now! #JusticeForEbengMayor pic.twitter.com/yXcH1VWXM2
— don’t fight the feeling on june 7th! (@diejungg) May 22, 2021
Trigger Warning: Hate crime, Violence, Murder
JUSTICE FOR EBENG MAYOR! TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS! SOGIE EQUALITY NOW!
Official statement of Lakapati Laguna on the murder of Ebeng Mayor#JusticeForEbengMayor#PassADBNow#SOGIEEqualityNow pic.twitter.com/5Qq5Obcrvr
— Lakapati Laguna #SOGIEEqualityNOW (@LakapatiLaguna) May 21, 2021
“Hindi siya overnight lang na nangyari na pinatay si Ebeng just because of personal circumstances. This is a hate crime. This is transphobia in the flesh. It’s distressing just talking about it.” #JusticeForEbengMayor @ourlordxavier https://t.co/DamEJMuJ4v
— ??????? ? ????? ? #SulongWagPatinag (@MarchingHere) May 21, 2021
One of our trans masc siblings has been murdered and on the week of #IDAHOBIT. Nakakagalit na may isa na namang biktima ng hate crime.
An attack to one of us is an attack to all of us. #EndTheHate#JusticeForEbengMayor
— Vince ????? #SOGIEEqualityNow (@vinceliban) May 21, 2021
In a conversation with Bahaghari, Ebeng’s family and friends confirmed that there were three perpetrators in the brutal rape-slay of Ebeng. One of them, supposedly Ebeng’s friend, is now behind bars.
According to Bahaghari, the first of the perpetrators, now jailed, confessed to the rape-slay. Ebeng’s face was brutally smashed with a rock.
The three suspects have been arrested and formally charged by the prosecutor’s office. They were charged with rape with homicide and robbery
The never-ending struggle of Filipino LGBTQIA community
Junjie Bangkiao and Ebeng Mayor are but two of the too many Filipino LGBTQIA+ community members who were victims of hate crimes in the country.
According to a statement, Metro Manila Pride highlighted that the data don’t lie.
“The Trans Murder Monitoring report of Transgender Europe has recorded at least 58 transgender persons have been killed in the Philippines from 2008 to September 2020.” the group said.
This, they said does not include how the government tolerated the murder of transwoman Jennifer Laude, denying her justice when they released her convicted killer, Joseph Scott Pemberton, by granting him presidential pardon.
Related story: ‘Mockery of justice,’ groups on Duterte’s pardon to Pemberton
Because of this climate of indifference and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, advocates are calling all who identify with any of the LGBTQIA+ gender spectrum to stand in defense of their rights and to push for the passing of the SOGIE equality bill. 
