trlkl,lngu'
2079
Anti-Bastos'law hard to implement
during Rody's term, says Gab tirela
BY WEI{DELL VIGIUA
GABRIEI-A party-l.ist Rep. Arlene
Brosas yesrerday said implemenr-
ing the 'Anti:Basros" law will be a
challenge for as long as President
Duterte is the countty's chief
execuflve,
"He is the drief propagator of
ANTI.BA.STOS
female journalist, cracked a joke
about raping a female foreign
missionary, and asked to ki-ss
on the lips a married female
overseas worker duriag a public
gathedng
He has been censured and called
"bastos" by his critics for his rape
iokes and his kissing of womin
in public.
Duterre signed dre Safe Spaces
Act (X.epublic Act 1 1313) on April
l7 bur the document was releaied
to the media just lastMonday. The
new law penalizes '.any unwanted
and uninvired sexual acdons or
remarks against any person,' in
public places.
Brosas said: 'qJVe look forwatd to
the day when the one who sisned
it inro las' will be the bi.eees; of-
fender to be penalized ,riler the
Bur f
Chie Presidential Leeal
Counsel and concwrenr presidJn-
tial spokesman Saivador panelo
said the law does not aoolv to
Duterte because the Pr..id-'e^nt'.r.
Aever indecent, or "bastos,,,
"Unang-una kasi, you've as-
sumed that the Presidentis bastos,
naging bastos. He never was bas-
tos. When he cracks jokes, it was
\^ €F,%Dr ..\q-€,,
wednesday. Jury 17.
a culnte tlLat degrades and objecti-
6es womer, and dut which exhors
cat callerq sexual offenders and eveo
uniformed personnel to disrespect
rlomen. Under this contexq imple-
mentlg the )aw will carainly be a
dullengg 'Brosas saidin a staternenL
Brosas said Dutette! signins
of the "Bawal Bastos Lav/Y thai
intended to make people laugh,
never to offend. If vou will iust
listen ro the jokes of the Presijent
talagang mataawa ka eh, matatawa
ka. Audience... 'di ba. thev sive
a heatty laughter. Hindi narian
bastos," Panelo said, - \
("First of all, you,ve
assumed
that rhe Presideniis indecem had
been indeceot He neve, -r. ir,.l.-
cent. !?heo he cracks jokes, ir was
intended to make people laugh,
never to offend. If you will just
listen to the jokes of the President
you would really laugh. The ar.rdi-
ence, they give a hearty laughter. It
was not indecent.')
Panelo said the publig especia.lly
women, should know the differ-
ence between an indecent rernark
and a plain joke.
"Never siyang nambastos ng
tsang pattikular na
taq kaya it does
not apply to him (lle never made
indecent temarks against a particu-
lrr person, so it does not apply to
him)," Panelo said.
He said remarks made bv the
President in the past againsi de-
tained Sen. Leila De Lima, indud-
iog tlrteats to release supposed sex
videos of her, cannot be consid-
ered a cdme.
Panelo daid Duterte siened the
Safe Spaces Act because"he rec-
amended the Anti Sexual Harass-
ment Act "thtows an ironic shade
on himsell as he represents the
single most btazen violator of the
law's intelt $/ith his staple macho-
fascist temarks."
Duterte had once cat-called a
See ANTI BASTOS l hee Bl
ognized that there is a need for
the lavr
Asked if this meaas Duterte
that
will no longer use unpleasant
wotds in his speeches includinq
those aimed at his derractori
- like Sen. Leila De Lima, Paoelo
shrugged off the questioo aod
simply said that complainans can
sue the president aftet his term
if he had indeed committed a-oy
violation.
"If the President commits a.rrv
violation of any law, then aoy
person can sue him for that viola-
tion. If you argue that, We[ he is
immune,' well you can always sue
him after the presidency. No one
is above the iaw. includine this
President and he alwavs te"lls ,rs
that " he said.
Pareelo, howevet, reminded the
public tlat under tle new law, t}re
offended parrymust be personally
offended by the offendir for it to
be appted.
He said merely headng what
one perceived as an offensive a.od
indecent remark is not enough,
unless you can prove that it was
aimed at you.
"Kailangan personal iyon eh,-
(It should be petsonal) Crioe is
personal to the offender," he also
sdd,. - With Jocebn Mofltcrnalot