Zubiri on Baguio ordinance: Cursing may be ‘immoral’ but not illegal

Cursing may be “immoral” but not illegal, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Thursday.

Zubiri gave this opinion when sought for comment on the anti-profanity ordinance recently approved in Baguio City, which prohibits cursing, cussing, and expressing insults in certain establishments frequented by minors and students.

READ: Cursing, saying foul words can land you in trouble in Baguio City

“I don’t know if they can actually ban cussing kasi under the Constitution, we have the constitutional right to freedom of speech,” he said at a regular forum in the Senate.

“It may be immoral but I will defend you or all of you on your freedom of speech’s right,” he said. “Again, it may be immoral to curse or to cuss, but it’s the right of every Filipino person to do so if they want.”

Zubiri believes that the legality of the ordinance could be questioned in court.

But the senator clarified his statement when asked to comment on President Rodrigo Duterte’s constant cursing in his speeches.

“May I clarify lang.. baka sabihin niyo iyong pagmumura ni Presidente, immoral. Sabi ni Migz Zubiri, immoral iyong pagmumura ni Presidente. Wala, wa akong sinabi niyan ha,” he said.

(I would like to clarify…because you may say that the President’s cursing is immoral, according to Migz Zubiri. I didn’t say that.)

“Sabi ko (What I said is), for some people, it may be immoral, but it’s not illegal to curse in public. It’s the freedom of speech under the Constitution,” Zubiri stressed.

He said he and the people of Mindanao are already used to the President’s cursing, noting that cussing is common to some local officials ./ee