Pia Wurtzbach speaks up about revealing drug suspect's HIV status

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach on Wednesday defended the rights of a drug suspect whose Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status was revealed after being nabbed in a buy-bust operation in a hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The beauty queen, who is also an advocate of LGTBQ rights and a Goodwill Ambassador of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) took to social media to stand up against the outing or disclosing of sexual orientation and revealing of HIV status of drug suspects arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“PDEA and local news outlets decided to expose the identities of these men to the media. Their mugshots, names, and the HIV status of one of them were released. Was this really necessary,” Wurtzbach wrote in her Instagram post.

 

Universe, listen to this. A few days ago a drug bust happened in a high scale hotel in Manila Philippines involving 11 supposedly gay men. Two of them were suspected of selling/distributing drugs. During the operation, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) found out that one of of them was HIV positive. PDEA and local news outlets decided to expose the identities of these men to the media. Their mugshots, names, and the HIV status of one of them were released. Was this really necessary? I understand that what the men were supposedly doing was illegal and they should face legal consequences. But there was absolutely no need to expose and publicly shame them. It’s illegal to publicly announce one’s HIV status (RA8504). What has been done has not only traumatized the men that were involved; it has also worsened the HIV situation in the Philippines. We’re working so hard in educating the people properly on HIV/AIDS, on taking away the stigma. Because of what PDEA and the news outlet have done, some people are now associating drugs and immorality with being gay. It’s ridiculous. The whole point of this drug raid was to arrest the men for their supposed crime, which was selling/distributing and using illegal narcotics. Being gay is not a crime! Living with HIV is not a punishment! Come on, Philippines. We are already taking small steps forward to improve acceptance, tolerance and understanding. We cannot take big steps back. To PDEA and the news outlets, take steps to mend the situation. Sa aking mga kababayan, wag po tayo maging judgmental. Hindi immoral ang maging bakla, hindi dapat ituring na kaparusahan ang HIV. At lalong hindi ito biro na dapat pag-pyestahan at pagtawanan. To my beloved LGBT community, stay strong. We’ll win this.

A post shared by Pia Wurtzbach | Miss Universe (@piawurtzbach) on

Nov 28, 2017 at 5:31pm PST

“I understand that what the men were supposedly doing was illegal and they should face legal consequences. But there was absolutely no need to expose and publicly shame them,” she added.

Wurtzbach cited Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act, saying that it’s “illegal to publicly announce once’s HIV status.”

“What has been done has not only traumatized the men that were involved; it has also worsened the HIV situation in the Philippines. We’re working so hard in educating the people properly on HIV/AIDS, on taking away the stigma,” Wurtzbach said.

“Because of what PDEA and the news outlet have done, some people are now associating drugs and immorality with being gay. It’s ridiculous. The whole point of this drug raid was to arrest the men for their supposed crime, which was selling/distributing and using illegal narcotics. Being gay is not a crime! Living with HIV is not a punishment,“ she added.

Under Republic Act 8504, a person's HIV status is confidential except in specific medical situations and if subject to a subpoena from a court.

It added that discriminatory acts and policies referred could be punishable with a penalty of imprisonment for six months to four as well as fines.

Wurtzbach, meanwhile, urged the PDEA and media outlets to “mend the situation,” saying that the country “cannot take big steps back.”

“Come on, Philippines. We are already taking small steps forward to improve acceptance, tolerance and understanding. We cannot take big steps back. To PDEA and the news outlets, take steps to mend the situation,” she said.

“To my beloved LGBT community, stay strong. We’ll win this,” she continued.

PDEA and media outlets drew criticism after the former announced in news conference that one of the suspects arrested in a drug raid was HIV-positive.

Lawmakers have also condemned the act, with Akbayan Representative Tomasito Villarin saying that being involved in drugs had nothing to do with being HIV-positive. He said it only adds to the stigma of having the virus.

Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag-ao, the principal author of the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act, PDEA had no right to infringe on the confidentiality of an individual having HIV.

"Kung sabihin nila na walang testing na naganap at kusang sinabi ito sa kanila, wala pa rin silang karapatang ilabas ito sa publiko dahil sa paglabag sa privacy ng tao," Bag-ao said.

On Tuesday, lawmakers criticized PDEA for the act. 

PDEA has expressed regret on baring the HIV status of the drug suspect.

"We sincerely apologize for the inadvertent mention of an HIV positive suspect in the course of [the] media briefing," the agency's statement read.

Eleven people, including a doctor and an engineer, were arrested in an entrapment operation at Room 609 of Seda Hotel at the Bonifacio Global City at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Seized during the operation were 20 tablets of ecstasy, less than a gram of shabu, 12 bottles of GBL weighing 530.8 ml worth P300,000 and a bottle of white capsules.

GBL is also known as a party or club drug and data rape drug. It is also referred to as "coma in a bottle."

The PDEA said its users mix GBL with alcoholic drinks. It increases sex drive and gives the user euphoria and "tranquility," it added.

The agency said Remegio and Coronel will be charged with violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) in relation to Section 26 (conspiracy to sell), Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) and Section 12 (possession of drug paraphernalia), Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The nine other arrested people will face charges for "use of dangerous drugs. — LA, GMA News