EDITORIAL - They make more sense in Mandaue

Mandaue City councilor Diosdado Suico may incur the ire of children’s rights groups. But at least he is being honest and practical. And he will likely get the support of parents who are in a better position to know how best to raise their children.

Suico said he will oppose any move in the Mandaue City Council to introduce measures meant to emulate what the city council in neighboring Cebu City did — which was to approve an ordinance banning and penalizing corporal punishment on children.

There is probably no argument that beating up children is bad. But you do not need an ordinance to make that clear. If there are parents who beat up their children, they certainly belong to a very small minority. They are the exception to the rule.

And the rule is that parents in general love their children and would not beat them up just for the sake of inflicting them harm. If parents spank their children, it is usually for a reason. And more often than not, parents regret and agonize over it for days.

The mental anguish of parents who lay a hand on their children is more than enough punishment than any law or ordinance can impose. Let this be the lookout of parents instead of some showcase ordinance that has little chance of changing things anyway.

Legitimate children’s rights groups — not those who espouse any cause just to get foreign funding and thus make a cottage industry about human and social issues — should be encouraged in what they do. But they should not presume to be better than parents in doing so.

Parents are still in the best position than anyone on how to raise their children. So, instead of curtailing them over some misguided notion about children’s rights, they should be the ones pushing for greater state assistance to parents in doing what’s best for their kids.

There is nothing that can be done anymore about what the councilors in Cebu City did, short of repealing their ordinance. But at least in Mandaue City the councilors make more sense. And councilor Suico, clearly a proud and loving parent, should be supported on his stand.