House okays penalties for flag desecration

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking to penalize the desecration of the national flag, anthem and other heraldic items and devices.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. expressed elation yesterday over Wednesday night’s approval of Bill 465, which was endorsed by the committee on basic education and culture chaired by Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III.

“I’m happy about it because it was the first bill approved by us after we organized the committees,” he said.

The committees would soon present several other bills for plenary approval, Belmonte said.

Bill 465 aims to impose a fine of P100,000 or a prison term of at least two years, or both at the discretion of the court, on persons mutilating, defacing or otherwise desecrating the flag, anthem or other heraldic items.

Escudero said by approving the measure, the House “has given more teeth to the government’s campaign to invigorate respect, patriotism and love of country, instilling in the citizens’ consciousness the nation’s history, which the national flag, anthem, motto, coat-of-arms, and other heraldic items and devices signify.”

“The respect accorded the use of national symbols forms the base of good citizenship and must be reiterated and strengthened,” he said.

Bill 465 is a consolidation of two similar measures filed by Escudero and Representatives Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City and Maximo Rodriguez of the party-list group Abante Mindanao.

Many people, particularly moviegoers, do not show respect for the national anthem by not standing up when it is played, Cagayan de Oro City’s Rodriguez said.

The bill would require citizens to stand at attention and sing with fervor when the anthem is played in a public gathering.

It seeks to prohibit different interpretations and arrangements of the anthem composed by Julian Felipe.

It aims to ban the use of the flag as an advertising tool for political or private purposes, or as clothing or fashion accessory.

The bill would also require all government and private offices, as well as Filipino residences, to display the flag from May 28, National Flag Day, to June 12, Independence Day, every year.

The National Historical Institute would be responsible for the enforcement of the measure.

It would submit implementing rules and regulations to the Office of the President and Congress.