Muntinlupa City now has an ordinance aiming “to prevent the occurrence of gender-based sexual harassment in streets and public spaces, online, in workplaces, and in educational and training institutions.”
Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed Muntinlupa City Ordinance No. 2023-077 that was passed by the Muntinlupa City Council.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon at the ceremonial signing of the ordinance on June 5 (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)
“Bawal ang bastos sa Muntinlupa!” Biazon posted on Facebook as the ceremonial signing of the ordinance was held on June 5.
Known as the "Respeto Sa Kapwa Muntinlupeño Ordinance (Respect for fellow Muntinlupeño Ordinance), the local law was passed to enforce the important provisions of Republic Act No. 11313 (Safe Spaces Act).
The purpose of the ordinance is “to provide measures to prevent the occurrence of gencer-based sexual harassment in the city. lt also aims to assure and ensure the protection of Muntinlupeño from gender-based sexual harassment as it seeks to inculcate among its populace respect for each other.”
It defines gender-based streets and public spaces sexual harassment as crimes “committed through any unwanted and uninvited sexual actions or remarks against any person regardless of the motive for committing such action remarks.”
It includes “catcalling, wolf-whistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist slurs, persistent uninvited comments or gestures on a person's appearance, relentless requests for personal details, statement of sexual comments and suggestions, public masturbation or flashing of private parts, groping, or any advances, whether verbal or physical, that is unwanted and has threatened one's sense of personal space and physical safety, and committed in public spaces such as alleys, roads. sidewalks and parks.”
“Acts constitutive of gender-based streets and public sexual spaces harassment are those performed in buildings, schools, churches, restaurants, malls, public washrooms, bars, internet shops, public markets, transportation terminals or public utility vehicles,” it added.
Under the ordinance, gender-based online sexual harassment are those “that use information and communications technology in terrorizing and intimidating victims through physical, psychological, and emotional threats, unwanted sexual misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist remarks and comments online whether publicly or through direct and private messages, invasion of victim's privacy through cyberstalking and incessant messaging, uploading and sharing without the consent of the victim, any form of media that contains photos, voice, or video with sexual content, any unauthorized recording and sharing of any of the victim's photos, videos, or any information online, impersonating identities of victims online or posting lies about victims to harm their reputation, or filing, false abuse reports to online platforms to silence victims.”
On the other hand, homophobic remarks or slurs “are statements in whatever form or however delivered, which are indicative of fear, hatred or aversion towards a person who is perceived to be, or actually identify as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual and such other persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or towards any person perceived to or actually have experienced same-sex attraction.”