The 18th city council has passed on 3rd and final reading an ordinance prohibiting and penalizing the act of leaving an unattended bag in a public place, during the regular session on Tuesday.
The ordinance aims to address the threat of terrorism here in the city by avoiding unattended bags or packages that may contain explosives and threaten the security of the city.
The ordinance has two prohibition in determining that a person committed the offense:
1. Any person who carries, lays down an unattended bag in a public place and walks away from the same even without causing alarm and panic; and
2. Any person who carries, lays down an unattended bag in a public place and walks away from the same, and such act causes alarm and panic.
Under the 1st prohibition, a first offense will be given a warning, 2nd will be charged with an administrative fine P100 and P300 for the 3rd offense.
While the 2nd prohibition, 1st offense will be charged with P1,000, P3,000 for 2nd offense and P5,000 or a 1 month imprisonment or both at the discretion of the court for the 3rd offense.
Unattended bags will be confiscated and turned over to the police or to the National Bureau of Investigation. If the bag remained unclaimed within seven days, the same shall be disposed in accordance with existing law.
The ordinance will take effect 15days after its publication in two local news papers.
While the council, made a committee consensus about the said ordinance, Councilor Maria Belen Acosta questioned some of its provisions that according to her might burden innocent people.
“The caution is on why a neutral act such as leaving a bag unattended could be considered an offense per se even without a proper premise, even in circumstances that does not cause any disturbance to anybody,” Acosta said during her privilege speech.
Acosta though said that she supports the move of the city council to further secure the city from any form of terrorism, she still questions why a mere act of leaving a bag can be punishable under the new ordinance of the city.
“I feel that making the act of leaving an unattended bag per se an offense under this ordinance even when it does not cause any disturbance might going too far,” she said
