A law is needed to discourage and prevent abuses against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, Laguna Third District Rep. Sol Aragones said over the weekend. In a statement on Saturday, Aragones cited a study conducted by New York-based Human Rights Watch in 2015 that found 15 percent of Filipinos reside in areas covered by ordinances that bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. “A law covering the entire country is needed to discourage and prevent abuses against members of the [LGBTQ] community from Appari to Jolo,” she said. The lawmaker filed House Bill 2211, or the proposed “Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Equality Act,” in July 2019.