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Misusing Hijab violates human dignity: Sen. Risa Hontiveros, during Monday’s plenary session November 28, 2022, warns against the misuse of hijab by traffickers to cover the age of their victims. Hontiveros, in expressing her support for Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1410, otherwise known as the National Hijab Day Act which she co-authors, said that in the course of the investigations on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations, illegal detentions, pastillas scam and human trafficking, she received complaints in some parts of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao about human traffickers misusing hijab to conceal the age of their victims especially minor girls. “Both Muslims and Christians had complained about misusing hijab, not to uphold the rights of the child, especially young girls, but to violate their rights, welfare and dignity as humans," Hontiveros said. The senator also commended the author of the bill, Sen. Robinhood Padilla, for clarifying in his bill that wearing hijab is not compulsory. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)