"Women, according to Gabriela, are made of sterner stuff and have proven that they are able to survive stress more than men can."
"Women, according to Gabriela, are made of sterner stuff and have proven that they are able to survive stress more than men can."
Two proposals raised controversy and opposition from certain quarters affected by the implementation of these rules. Students opposed the government’ s mandatory drug testing in private and public schools. They complained it is against their civil rights of privacy and make them targets of the government’s alleged extrajudicial killing of suspects. Its proponents, however, defended the policy claiming the move is actually an old law unimplemented by the Department of Education.
Mandatory drug testing, the authorities said, is to weed out drug users in schools and prevent the spread of this social menace. Personally, I don’t oppose this because of the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound cure.” The mandatory drug testing in schools is certainly a better remedy than the killing of mere suspects.
The other controversial measure is the exclusion of pregnant women from taking certain subjects in medical schools. The Pines City College in Baguio reasoned out that such subjects as gynecology and obstetrics could be stressful to pregnant women that might have a harmful effect on the baby she is carrying in her womb.
Gabriela Party-List Rep. Emmi de Jesus on the other hand, said the exclusion ban of Baguio’s PCC is against the Magna Carta on Women’s Rights prohibiting discrimination. She said women are made of sterner stuff and have proven that they are able to survive stress more than men can.
For example, men do not undergo giving birth like women. There are women who have given birth several times and some even to twins, triplets and quadruplets. As someone said, it is man’s pleasure, the woman’s pain in the baby-making department.
No expletives, please
In another Baguio initiative, the city passed an ordinance making it unlawful for anyone to utter expletives in a public place This poses a legal problem the Baguio city council might not have foreseen. The ordinance says ANYONE.
What if President Rodrigo Duterte goes to Baguio on a speaking engagement and unleashes a torrent of his signature expletives . This I gotta see —Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan —personally arresting the President for violating the city ordinance of “Bawal Magmura Dito.”
It’s the midterm elections on May 13 next year. Will Domogan dare go against the President? My bet is that the Palace and the mayor will find a middle ground for a win-win solution. If not, we can expect a new mayor for the Pines City.