The Quezon City government has outlawed catcalling and other forms of sexual harassment in public spaces against women with the passage of the Gender and Development ordinance.
With the new law, people caught making all those creepy catcalls and other sexual overtones can get up to one year of jail term and/or fined as much as P5,000.
So, to guide all testosterone fueled guys out there, here are the ten things prohibited in Quezon City.
1. Catcalling - acts of making a whistle, shout, or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by. Examples: 'Hi, Miss Beautiful', ‘Pa-kiss nga‘, 'you are sexy’, 'Hi, Ate', etcetera.
2. Wolf-whistling - a whistle with a rising and falling pitch, directed toward someone to express sexual attraction or admiration.
3. Cursing - an offensive word or phrase.
4. Repeatedly asking for the woman’s number or for dates.
5. Calling a woman in public with words having dirty connotations or implications which tend to ridicule, humiliate or embarrass the woman.
6. Stalking.
7. Making offensive mouth, tongue, lip, hand or body gestures (such as winking), and visual harassment for sexual gratification.
8. Unnecessary or deliberately touching, pinching, or brushing up against the body of a person.
9. Introduction of any object into the genitalia, anus, or mouth of any person.
10. Exhibition of genitals at pubic areas, and public masturbation.
(NOTE: Items #1 to #5 are light violations, #6 and #7 are medium violations, and #7 to #10 are severe violations.)
PENALTIES
First offense: 1 to 5 days arrest or fine of P1,000 for light and medium violation, 1 to 6 months arrest or P3,000 fine for severe violations.
Second offense: 6 to 10 days arrest or P2,000 fine for light violations, 6 to 10 days arrest or P3,000 fine for medium violations, 1 to 6 months arrest or P4,000 fine for severe violations.
Third offense: 11 to 30 days arrest or P5,000 fine, light and medium violations; 6 months to 1 year or P5,000 fine severe violations.
The women may file their complaints at any nearby police stations. The ordinance is expected to take effect sometime in June, 2016.
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