EDITORIAL - Anti-pasaway

Ferdinand Marcos used it as his martial law slogan, but even the forces of a dictatorship could not instill the kind of discipline that he believed was needed for national progress. Although “sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan” made sense, it failed to take root, mostly because the dictatorship engendered civil disobedience and resistance from freedom-loving Filipinos.

Where authoritarian rule failed, legislators now hope a law will succeed in compelling citizens to behave in a disciplined way, with courtesy and respect for rules. A bill has been filed by party-list lawmakers, seeking fines and prison time for cutting in line – whether in queues for goods and services or in vehicular traffic.

Authors of the proposed Anti-Pasaway Act of 2014 argue that jumping the line is a form of wang-wang or VIP mentality that the Aquino administration wants to eradicate. The proposal calls for a one-month prison term and a fine of P10,000 for undisciplined or pasaway offenders. This may seem harsh to those for whom breaking the law has become routine. And even if the proposal becomes law, the question is whether it can be effectively enforced.

The country has sufficient laws to penalize misdemeanors such as jaywalking, littering and traffic violations. Ineffectual enforcement, however, has led to a blatant disregard of the law. There are Filipinos who respect the law, but many others for whom compliance must be compelled.

As in serious crimes, people will disregard rules and break the law if they see that they can get away with it. The proposal for an anti-pasaway law can be lauded for stirring public debate over the lack of discipline in Philippine society. More than the passage of new laws, however, national discipline is best instilled through effective law enforcement.