Sen. Leila de Lima (Photo from her Facebook page)
Sen. Leila de Lima protested on Saturday against the prohibition to feed stray cats by a condominium in the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig, saying it was something “inherently inhuman.”
“It may sound strange to some, but there is something inherently inhuman about forcing people to ignore their instinct to care for other creatures who are weak, helpless and in need of care,” De Lima said in her lateset dispatch from Camp Crame, Quezon City.
De Lima questioned the purpose of the ban and penalty, saying the building management might view the stray cats as a problem.
“I wonder if the reason for the proposed ban and penalty is based on considerations of what would be most convenient for the management. Perhaps, they think that starving out the cats will result in them dying out and eliminating a ‘problem’ for the management,” De Lima said.
On Aug. 28, Serendra Retail sent a notice to its merchants which warned employees or customers that they would be fined P1,000 for feeding a stray animal.
Similar notices were also given to Two Serendra residents on Aug. 8 and Sept. 6.
The second offense had a penalty of P10,000 per violation, while those caught feeding the stray cats would face up to P10,000 fines and a month-long suspension of their privileges. /atm