Student leaders from four big universities on Wednesday came forward to unite to urge the passage of the proposed Safe Spaces Act into law.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Akbayan party-list nominee Gio Tiongson said “universities are institutions of learning, and not institutions of lurking, stalking or catcalling.”
He said Akbayan was serious in its advocacy to ensure that schools were safe from any sexual harassment of their students.
“School heads must be penalized for culpability not to implement the law,” he noted.
Pat Nicdao, University of the Philippines-Diliman councilor, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law of 1995 was already obsolete.
“The law is already 24 years old. When this was passed, there are no social media and no cellphone cameras yet. The culture and status of the women, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender were then different from today’s,” he added.
Tiongson was joined by other representatives from UP-Diliman, Quezon City; Ateneo de Manila University; University of Santo Tomas, and De la Salle University-College of St. Benilde during the conference.
Rachel Contreras of Akbayan Youth group said the bill passed both at the Senate and Congress was forwarded to President Rodrigo Duterte for his approval.
“The law’s passage would give the students more protection. Just a signature [of the President] is needed to make campuses safe [against sexual harassment],” she said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros is one of the principal authors of the bill.