Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Pacquiao files bill penalizing spitting in public places to prevent disease transmission
Philippines
Pacquiao files bill penalizing spitting in public places to prevent disease transmission
Pacquiao files bill penalizing spitting in public places to prevent disease transmission
Published Mar 12, 2020 12:00 am
By Mario Casayuran
Boxing icon Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao has filed a bill seeking to prohibit the indiscriminate spitting and expelling of nasal mucus in public following the Department of Health’s (DOH) confirmation of the local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.
Senator Manny Pacquiao
(JAY GANZON / MANILA BULLETIN) Pacquiao explained in his Senate Bill (SB) No. 1406, to be known as the Anti-Spitting Act of 2020, that the respiratory illness has spread at a rapid pace, and given the gravity of the situation, there is an urgent need to institute a concrete preventive measure to stop the spread of the disease that has become a global health emergency. He cited a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) which stated that the virus is thought to spread from person-to-person, most likely through droplets of saliva or mucus carried in the air for up to six feet or so when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The measure of Pacquiao seeks to prohibit and penalize careless, intentional, and indiscriminate spitting and expelling of nasal mucus in public areas and other places to which the public has access. “No person or persons shall carelessly, intentionally or indiscriminately spit saliva or expel phlegm, mucus, or other substances from the mouth or from the nose in the city streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, malls, markets, streets, public carriers, public halls, and buildings, banks, public squares, terminals, shopping and business centers, schools, churches, hospital, and other similar public places or any place to which the public has access,” reads Section 4 of the proposed measure. For the purposes of this Act, these terms are defined as follows: (a) Spitting - the act of expectorating carelessly or intentionally saliva, phlegm, mucus, or other substances. (b) Public places - generally an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public has access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not. It shall include any highway, boulevard, avenue, road, street, bridge or other thoroughfare, park, plaza, square, and/or any open space of public ownership where the people are allowed access. The bill provides that any person caught spitting in public places shall be charged with the corresponding penalties, to wit: first offense -A fine of P5,000; second offense - A fine of P10,000; Third Offense - A fine of P50,000 and attendance at a health seminar conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with local health units, or a subsidiary imprisonment not exceeding six months in case of insolvency, or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. Once signed into law, the local government units (LGUs) shall lead in implementing the provisions of this Act, whereas the DOH and, if necessary, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, shall conduct seminars and provide guidelines including the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on how to go about the health hazards of spitting. Appropriations needed for the implementation of this Act shall be derived from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the LGUs and from sources provided by the DOH and other government agencies.
Senator Manny Pacquiao(JAY GANZON / MANILA BULLETIN) Pacquiao explained in his Senate Bill (SB) No. 1406, to be known as the Anti-Spitting Act of 2020, that the respiratory illness has spread at a rapid pace, and given the gravity of the situation, there is an urgent need to institute a concrete preventive measure to stop the spread of the disease that has become a global health emergency. He cited a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) which stated that the virus is thought to spread from person-to-person, most likely through droplets of saliva or mucus carried in the air for up to six feet or so when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The measure of Pacquiao seeks to prohibit and penalize careless, intentional, and indiscriminate spitting and expelling of nasal mucus in public areas and other places to which the public has access. “No person or persons shall carelessly, intentionally or indiscriminately spit saliva or expel phlegm, mucus, or other substances from the mouth or from the nose in the city streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, malls, markets, streets, public carriers, public halls, and buildings, banks, public squares, terminals, shopping and business centers, schools, churches, hospital, and other similar public places or any place to which the public has access,” reads Section 4 of the proposed measure. For the purposes of this Act, these terms are defined as follows: (a) Spitting - the act of expectorating carelessly or intentionally saliva, phlegm, mucus, or other substances. (b) Public places - generally an indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public has access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not. It shall include any highway, boulevard, avenue, road, street, bridge or other thoroughfare, park, plaza, square, and/or any open space of public ownership where the people are allowed access. The bill provides that any person caught spitting in public places shall be charged with the corresponding penalties, to wit: first offense -A fine of P5,000; second offense - A fine of P10,000; Third Offense - A fine of P50,000 and attendance at a health seminar conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with local health units, or a subsidiary imprisonment not exceeding six months in case of insolvency, or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. Once signed into law, the local government units (LGUs) shall lead in implementing the provisions of this Act, whereas the DOH and, if necessary, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, shall conduct seminars and provide guidelines including the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on how to go about the health hazards of spitting. Appropriations needed for the implementation of this Act shall be derived from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the LGUs and from sources provided by the DOH and other government agencies.