Ordinance punishing parents may get amendments

CEBU, Philippines - The Anti-Corporal Punishment Ordinance of Cebu City may be amended after the City Council’s committee on laws and good government suggested that parents should not be deprived of their right to discipline their children.

 Although the ordinance was approved already by the City Council last June 27 and was signed by Mayor Michael Rama several days later, this is not strictly implemented yet.

 Rama vetoed the ordinance claiming that he did not remember that he signed the original copy of the ordinance. The mayor does not favor the legislation that prevents parents from disciplining their children.

 In last Wednesday’s session of the City Council, the city legislators approved the report of Councilor Sisinio Andales, chairman of the City Council’s committee on laws and good government, that the controversial ordinance be referred back to the proponents for study and for possible amendments.

 “This committee had meticulously gone over the proposed ordinance and opposition thereto, it is necessary to consider that the parents should not be deprived of their right to discipline their children as long as the discipline should not be in the form of corporal punishment,” the report said.

 Andales said if the parents will be deprived of their right to discipline their children, they might be exposed to disrespect and abuse by their children, thereby depriving them of their parental authority.

 “It is necessary to evaluate and to examine the rights of the parents and the rights of the children,” Andales said.

 After the approval of his committee report, Andales said the proponents of the ordinance Councilors Alvin Dizon, Leah Japson and Margarita “Margot” Osmeña will meet to discuss the issue.

 The five-month-old ordinance would penalize the parents, guardians and teachers who will inflict corporal punishment, including verbal assaults, on children.

 It was approved despite the objection made by Councilor Jose Daluz III who insisted that the parents should not be sanctioned if they will impose disciplinary action against their children because they have the right to do it.

 Rama had said that inflicting some punishment to the children is not bad, saying “Kinsa man nato ang wala makatilaw og bunal sa atong mga ginikanan bi? Unya ngano nga buotan man lagi ta?” (Who among us did not experience being disciplined?)

 Japson argued that the city should “protect the children where she or he may grow up in an atmosphere of love, respect and understanding.”

 Punishable acts include any form of physical or humiliating, or degrading punishment like kicking, slapping, beating, lashing with the use of instrument like belt, broom and other hard objects.

 The pulling of hairs, twisting of joints, cutting and shaving hair, piercing of skin, dragging and throwing the child, threats are also prohibited in the ordinance.

 Other prohibited acts include letting the child to do some hazardous task as punishment for the purpose of discipline, particularly if it is already beyond the child’s strength.

 Placing the child inside a room without proper ventilation as punishment, yelling and making the child look or feel foolish in front of one’s peer or the public is also prohibited. —JPM (FREEMAN)