Binay bill seeks to ban sex offenders from staying near schools

Senator-elect Nancy Binay. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A bill that would prohibit sex offenders from entering, loitering or gaining access to schools and residing  300 meters  from the premises has been  filed  at the Senate.

In the bill filed by Senator Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay, a person who has been convicted by final judgment of a sexual offense is prohibited from committing the following acts:

• Loiter within 500 feet of a school building or school grounds
• Ride in any conveyance owned, leased or contracted by a school to transport students to or from school
• Reside within 300 meters of the property on where a school is located
• And loiter within 300 meters of any place wherein a school-related activity is being conducted outside the school building or school grounds.

The local Bureau  of Jail  Management and Penology (BJMP), under the bill, will be required to submit to the Department of Education Division Superintendent and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) a list of sexual offenders who have been released or are being placed under parole or probation within one month from the release or placement under parole or probation of the sexual offender.

The DepEd division superintendent should then distribute copies of the list to every school under its jurisdiction.

“It shall be the duty of each sexual offender who has been released or is under parole or probation to update the NBI with his current address on or before the 31^st of January of every year for the rest of his life,” the bill said.

“Failure on the part of the sexual offender to update the NBI shall result in the revocation of probation or the deferment of parole until such time that the sexual offender shall comply with the foregoing requirement,” it added.

The proposed measure also  requires school principals to immediately report to law enforcement any listed sex offender, who has not been granted permission and who is observed or known to be within the premises, or loitering within 300 meters of the property line of a school or other location where a school activity is scheduled to occur.

Any person found guilty of violating the provisions of the proposed measure would  be  slapped with a fine of not less than P200,000 but not exceeding P300,000 and imprisonment of not less than 30 days but not more than 60 days at the discretion of the court.