Arroyo wants stalkers penalized with imprisonment up to 6 years

MANILA—Former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo wants to make stalking a criminal offense as it violates a person’s constitutional right to privacy.

Arroyo filed House Bill No. 2890, or the proposed Anti-Stalking Act of 2016, which penalizes stalkers with imprisonment of up to six years and a fine ranging from PHP1,000 to PHP5,000.

Arroyo cited the Constitution which guarantees that a person has to be secure in their persons, houses and papers, and that the Civil Code of the Philippines mandates that every person must respect the dignity, privacy, personality and peace of mind of others.

While the act of stalking violates these provisions, Arroyo noted that the present laws are insufficient in the prevention and punishment of such act.

“The act of stalking or its accompanying behavior is a violation of legal rights since it involves harassing, bothering, frightening and interfering with people’s private lives. Such act of a form of disguised intimidation which may be subtle attempt at harassment,” she said.

Under the measure, any person who harasses another by committing any of the following acts will be held liable for stalking:

(1) making unsolicited telephone calls without the purpose of legitimate communication;

(2) making repeated communications anonymously or at extremely inconvenient hours or in an offensively course language;

(3) making repeated visits to the victim’s home or workplace;

(4) following or repeatedly maintaining visual or physical proximity to the victim in or about public place or places;

(5)and engaging in any other course of alarming conduct.