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Relevance of the VariousMechanisms to the Plight ofPLHIV in the PhilippinesA. A CLOSER LOOK INTO THE ACTS OF DISCRIMINATION ANDVIOLATIONSIt is evident that available mechanisms are in place for the redress ofhuman rights violations against PLHIV in the Philippines. However, notall the instances of stigma and discrimination they are subjected to canbe addressed by these mechanisms.This inadequacy is illustrated during the experience-sharing in the workshopheld on February 21, 2011. Some of the injustices felt by PLHIV that werementioned fall under stigmatization and its effects, such as:■■avoidance of gatherings because of fear of rejectionhurt feeling by a PLHIV (whose status was undisclosed) when arelative expressed insulting things about PLHIVClearly, any attempt to seek redress with the above incidents may notlikely prosper. Stigmatization is basically a matter of perception. It has tobe translated into an act, whether of commission or omission, to beconsidered an offense. In other words, a person may think ill of another,but legally, there is nothing that can be done about it, unless the personcarries out an action that violates the rights of the other person.It would help to revisit the four basic elements that must be present so asto conclude that there is a human rights violation, namely: act, victim,perpetrator and reason (or motive). The last element is especially necessaryin proving cases of discrimination.Avoiding attendance in gatherings hence is not a violation, as the necessaryelements are not present. Neither is hearing someone hurls insults at PLHIV.In the latter case, while there may be an act, the person who heard theinsults was not its subject and thus could not be considered as the victim.Furthermore, for legal redress to be attained, it is not enough that stigmaand discrimination are translated into acts that are violative, but these acts