Wow seksi! Witwiw! Guys, beware of these words because you might end up in jail.
With the implementation of RA 11313 or the “Safe Spaces Act” which is also known as the “Bawal Bastos Law”, people should watch out of their actions and the words they utter. This is a policy of the state to value the dignity of every human person. It also guarantees full respect for human rights and to recognize the role of women in nation-building and to ensure equality among men and women. According to the implementing guidelines of RA 11313, the state recognizes that both men and women must have quality, security, and safety not only in private, but also on the streets, public spaces, online, workspaces and educational training institutions. This law took effect on September 3, 2019; however, many seem to be taking this law lightly, so, some institutions and schools are inviting lawyers or proper authorities to discuss this matter in their workplace. Some of these schools include Pines City National High School.
As part of the gender and development or GAD activity, Pines City National High School included Safe Spaces Act as part of the topics in the school in-service training. It is in this topic where the audience were enlightened and were updated regarding sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is no longer about a superior harassing his female colleague who has a lower position. It already involves a wider scope where it includes gender-based streets and public spaces sexual harassment where crimes are committed through any unwanted and uninvited sexual actions or remarks against any person regardless of the motive for committing such action or remarks. This now poses a bigger responsibility to everyone to be careful with the words he/she utters and to be careful in giving comments to others and even in social media. In addition, gender-based online sexual harassment even has a greater punishment than physical abuse because of the greater number of audience which can reach millions reactions of viewers.
The crimes that everybody has to know are the following – catcalling, wolf-whistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist slur to name a few. Some other crimes identified in this act are the following: persistent uninvited comments or gestures on a person’s appearance; statement of sexual comments and suggestions, public masturbation or flashing of private parts like groping, making offensive body gestures at someone, and at other similar lewd sexual actions; any advances, whether verbal, or physical, that is unwanted and has threatened ones sense of personal space and physical safety which may include curing, leering, and intrusive gazing, and taunting; persistent telling of sexual jokes, and use of sexual names.
With the discussion on RA 11313, it is expected that the teachers and non-teaching staff of the school will avoid violating this act through their more careful actions. It is also expected that teachers will be integrating this act in their class discussions as part of the information dissemination. As observed, there are many violations that are being incurred by the students. Thus, proper information dissemination and campaign about this Anti Bastos Law through integration and discussions in the teachers’ classes.
Proper dissemination of the “Safe Spaces Act”, could mitigate in that growing number of students who curse, fight, and do the dirty finger.
By: Evelyn Gapero
