BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan urged residents and visitors to appreciate and understand the purpose of the enactment of the city’s anti-profanity ordinance which is aimed at developing the proper values and character of the youth for them to grow up as responsible and dedicated citizens of the society instead of being the problems of the community.
The local chief executive claimed that he had been receiving numerous calls from different local, national and international media outfits inquiring about the implementation of the anti-profanity ordinance which actually took effect sometime in October after the same was signed on September 24, 2018.
He underscored that based on the provisions of Ordinance No. 118, series of 2018 which was authored by Councilor Lilia Fariñas, those who will be covered by the ban on uttering profane language are high school and college students who frequent public places such as school campuses, cafeterias, computer shops, arcades and other similar establishments frequented by the youth.
While the ordinance does not have any penal provision, he claimed that it is the responsibility of school officials to look after the actuation of students when inside school campuses so that they will behave pursuant to acceptable norms and standards that is why they have the authority to impose the appropriate penalties against erring students who will commit such offenses within the jurisdiction of their institutions.
In the case of business establishments, the city mayor pointed out that business people have the obligation to post in their establishments anti-profanity notices to serve as a guide for people entering their businesses not to utter profane language that could injure the feelings of other people listening to the same.
According to him, it is the moral obligation of parents and adults to look after the welfare of the younger ones by teaching them the proper values and character at an early age so that they will not grow up to be irresponsible and insensitive people who do not care about the welfare of the people within the community.
He emphasized the right to freedom of speech as enshrined in the constitution is not absolute because there are prescribed limitations to the said freedom that is why it cannot be used as a defense to discredit the primary purpose of the anti-profanity ordinance which is now being strictly observed around the city.
Domogan asserted it is still best for parents, teachers and adults to start correcting the wrong behaviour of the youth while they are still young so that they will understand that people care for their growth and development instead of allowing them to continue doing their wrong ways that could result to more problems than solutions to the other people living in the community.
He requested the residents and visitors to first read through the anti-profanity ordinance and understand its context before coming out with remarks that are meritorious because the comments in the social media only shows that those criticizing the measure did not actually read the contents of the ordinance before issuing their observations.
By Dexter A. See