By Perla Lena/ PNA
ILOILO CITY — Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III expressed support for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s decision to veto the “Anti-Palo” Bill which prohibits corporal punishment for children.
“In the exercise of parental control and parental discipline that is innate in them, sometimes, when you intervene through legislation, you might be curbing their authority to discipline their children,” Espinosa said in an interview Monday.
He cited that in striking a balance, those who passed the legislation should ponder whether it can be solved by legislation or they have “diminished the authority of parents to set direction” in their homes.
“The President as father of the whole country might have seen that it would curtail the disciplinary functions of parents,” he added.
He cited the case of United States where parents could not physically hurt or discomfort to their children otherwise, they will be apprehended by authorities.
He added that the President will not veto if he does not see that his act will have “repercussions” on the Filipino tradition, especially when it comes to instilling discipline.
Last week, Duterte vetoed consolidated Senate Bill 1477 and House Bill 8239 otherwise known as “An Act Promoting Positive and Nonviolent Discipline, Protecting Children from Physical, Humiliating of Degrading Acts as Form of Punishment and Appropriating Funds Therefore”.
“I am gravely concerned that the bill goes much further than this as it would proscribe all forms of corporate punishment, humiliating or not, including those done within the confines of the family home. I do not share such an overly sweeping condemnation of the practice,” Duterte said.
The consolidated bills prohibit subjecting the child to any form of punishment or discipline using physical force and intended to cause pain or discomfort or any nonphysical act that causes a child to feel belittled, denigrated, threatened, or ridiculed.
