Anti-Planking Act of 2011 by QC Rep. Winnie Castelo Receives Flak from Netizens
The Anti-Planking Act of 2011 which was filed to Congress by QC representative Winnie Castelo has been receiving lots of flak on social networking sites.
Planking, if you've been living under a rock, is a recent fad consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location for photograps. In planking, the participant's hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph taken and posted on the internet is part of the game.
The bill by Rep. Winnie Castelo seeks not to prohibit "planking" per se, but when it becomes a form of protest which was demonstrated by a group of militant students called League of Filipino Students (LFS), it's a no-no. The said students staged a "die-in" protest in the form of planking to block vehicles during a transport strike along a main street in Welcome Rotonda, Espana in Metro Manila yesterday, September 19, 2011.
"I was really worried as a parent. I have kids. I was also a UP student and I sympathize with them. It is normal to air their grievances and I welcome that as a lawmaker. However, as a parent, we have to see to it that their lives are protected as well," Castelo told ABS-CBN.
Castelo pointed out that the proposed Anti-Planking Act of 2011 will not prohibit the constitutional right of freedom of expression. He proposed the creation of a universal Code of Student Conduct "where planking as a form of redress of grievance be strictly prohibited and appropriate sanctions be applied for violations thereof."
He also urged schools and universities officials to impose sanctions on students who conduct planking to air their grievances especially when it poses a danger to themselves or to the public.
Here is the full details of the Anti-Planking Act of 2011 filed by QC Rep. Winston "Winnie" Castelo as posted in www.winniecastelo.net:
Solon denounced planking in street protest actions
Castelo, September 20th, 2011
In quick denunciation of what members of the League of Filipino Students did during the September 19 transport strike along Espana road in Sampaloc, Manila to show support to PISTON, Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo was prompted to file a bill to address an important concern.
In his bill, also known as the “Anti-Planking Act of 2010”, Castelo feared that planking will be used as a template of subsequent street rallies or protest actions initiated by students to express redress of grievances against the status quo.
“The parent in me tells me that this precedent in the case of the this massive transport strike where militant street protesters who are students of various schools have to lie down or serve as ‘planks’ across the road to disrupt what should be normal traffic could just be very dangerous in the future. Life and limb are pretty much at risks here were unbelieving bus drivers or law enforcement authorities might just ram through these warm and living bodies rolled out on highways”, Castelo strongly pointed out.
Indeed, in his proposed bill, the well-intentioned solon wants that a Code of Student Conduct be drafted to be implemented by Dep Ed in the case of elementary and high school students and the CHED in the case of college students who may have militant or radical student leaders engaged in street protests or demonstrations.
Castelo in the Explanatory Note of his legislative measure said, “Parents and teachers have reason to be alarmed if these similar protest actions will have as a scheme and scene otherwise warm and living bodies laid down across street highways as though they were offerings to the gods”.
Thus for the solon, “lest this picture read in newspapers or posted in the internet might evolve into a new mindset that just might go viral or very contagious, let it be nipped in the bud. The Filipino psyche of our young children in school is under attack – right here and now”.
AN ACT PRESCRIBING A UNIVERSAL CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT WHEREBY PLANKING BY A STUDENT OR GROUP OF STUDENTS DURING STREET RALLIES OR SIMILAR PROTEST ACTIONS AS A FORM OF REDRESS OF GRIEVANCE BE STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND APPLYING APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS THEREOF
September 20th, 2011
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Planking Act of 2011”.
SEC. 2. A universal Code of Student Conduct is hereby prescribed where planking as a form of redress of grievance be strictly prohibited and appropriate sanctions be applied for violations thereof.
SEC. 3. Under this Act, planking is when a student or group of students lies face down in unusual locations especially in streets or other public places, keeping the hands along the body and the feet outstretched and especially where such act is meant as a form of redress of grievance against government.
SEC. 4 Every bonafide student from any school, college or university shall conduct himself with high degree of discipline and propriety.
SEC. 5. The Department of Education in the case of elementary and high school students and the Commission on Higher Education in the case of college students shall draft a universal Code of Student Conduct to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Further, DepEd and CHED, respectively shall issue appropriate rules and regulations to effectively carry out intent and purpose of this Act.
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect ninety (90) days after its publication in the Official Gazette and in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation.
Right after Castelo filed the "Anti-Planking Act of 2011," the term became a trending topic on Twitter. Majority of the netizens criticized the bill saying it's unnecessary and there are more important things the Government should address.
So what do you think about the bill prohibiting planking? Do you think it's necessary or it's just one of those "trivial" stuff wasting the time of the officials while they should be focusing on more important matters?
Image courtesy of Inquirer
wow. this world has changed! :) maybe there ARE other more important things government should focus on.
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