Councilor wants crossing of police line penalized

MANILA, Philippines—In a sad testament to the lack of discipline of Filipinos, a Manila councilor has had to propose an ordinance seeking to penalize kibitzers who breach police lines.

A draft ordinance penned by second-district councilor Rodolfo Lacsamana seeks to impose a fine of P2,000 or a day’s imprisonment or both on any person who crosses a police line set up in the city.

Apparently, Lacsamana was prompted to author the ordinance after the Aug. 23, 2010, fiasco at the Quirino Grandstand when a dismissed police man took hostage a tourist bus and killed eight Hong Kong nationals before being gunned down by a sniper in the hours-long standoff.

Making matters worse were onlookers who crowded the crime scene despite police lines clearly marked with “Do not cross” installed around the hostage site.

“The whole fiasco was aired on the CNN Cable News Network [and] the whole world watched as it all unfolded—including the onrush of the curious or the so-called ‘usiseros’ who braved the heavy downpour and rushed in droves to the crime scene as if the whole thing was something out of a movie scene or a spectacular display of bravado by swashbuckling gun fighters,” Lacsamana said, in his draft ordinance.

“The breach of the police line, seen on international and local television, is a clear and embarrassing indictment of our inability and ineptitude to impose discipline and maintain law and order in times of crisis,” Lacsamana added.

The ordinance was set for second reading at the city council regular session on Thursday afternoon.