{{Short description|2019 Philippine law}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox legislation | short_title = Safe Spaces Act of 2019 | long_title = An Act Defining and Penalizing Gender-based Street and Public Spaces Harassment, Expanding the Definition of Sexual Harassment, and Amending for this Purpose Republic Act No. 7877, and for Other Purposes | image = | citation = [https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2019/04apr/20190417-RA-11313-RRD.pdf Republic Act No. 11313] | territorial_extent = Philippines | legislature = Congress of the Philippines | enacted_by = Senate of the Philippines | date_enacted = | date_passed = October 8, 2018 | enacted_by2 = House of Representatives of the Philippines | date_passed2 = January 9, 2019 | date_assented = | date_signed = April 17, 2019 | signed_by = Rodrigo Duterte | date_commenced = | date_effective = August 3, 2019 | bill = Safe Spaces Act of 2017 | bill_citation = [https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/senate-bill-no-1558-17th-congress-republic Senate Bill No. 1558] | bill_date = August 16, 2017 | introduced_by = Risa Hontiveros | 1st_reading = | 2nd_reading = | 3rd_reading = | 3rd_reading_for = 21 | 3rd_reading_against = | 3rd_reading_absent = 3 | 3rd_reading_presentnotvoting = | committee_report = | bill2 = Safe Street, Public and Online Spaces Act of 2018 | bill_citation2 = [https://ldr.senate.gov.ph/bills/house-bill-no-8794-17th-congress-republic House Bill No. 8794] | bill_date2 = December 12, 2018 | introduced_by2 = Bernadette Herrera | 1st_reading2 = | 2nd_reading2 = | 3rd_reading2 = | 3rd_reading2_for = 208 | 3rd_reading2_against = | 3rd_reading2_abstention = | conf_committee_passed2 = | white_paper = | date_conf_committee = | amends = Anti-Sexual Harassment Act | repeals = | related = | summary = | keywords = | status = in force }} The '''Safe Spaces Act''', colloquially known as the '''Bawal Bastos Law''' and officially designated as '''Republic Act No. 11313''', is a Philippine law that penalize gender-based sexual harassment.
==Legislative history== ===Senate=== The Safe Spaces Act of 2019 was first proposed in the Senate, the upper house of the Congress of the Philippines as Senate Bill No. 1326 on November 22, 2016, with Senator Risa Hontiveros as the author.<ref name=senatebill1>{{cite web |title=Senate Bill No. 1250, 17th Congress of the Republic |url=https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/senate-bill-no-1250-17th-congress-republic|website=Senate Legislative Resources |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref> Two more similar bills were filed; Senate Bill No. 1254 by Senator Grace Poe on November 22, 2016,<ref name=senatebillpoe>{{cite web |title=Senate Bill No. 1254, 17th Congress of the Republic|url=https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/senate-bill-no-1254-17th-congress-republic|website=Senate Legislative Resources |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref> and Senate Bill No. 1326 by Hontiveros on February 14, 2017.<ref name=senatebill2>{{cite web |title=Senate Bill No. 1326, 17th Congress of the Republic |url=https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/senate-bill-no-1326-17th-congress-republic|website=Senate Legislative Resources |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref>
During a Senate session on August 1, 2018. Senator Tito Sotto asked Hontiveros if the provisions on gender-based harassment is too similar to the proposed SOGIE Bill. Hontiveros says that sexual harassment and discrimination which the latter is covered by the SOGIE Bill are different but overlaps may occur if the victim happens to be LGBTQ and may seek the proposed Safe Spaces law as recourse. Sotto also ask what would happen if under a hypothetical scenario of a straight man groping another straight man which he believes will not be covered by the Safe Spaces Act. Hontiveros suggest th man be held liable for "acts of lasciviousness" in that scenario.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cepeda |first1=Cody |title=Sotto on straight man groping another straight man: 'Not harassment' |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1017013/sotto-on-straight-man-groping-another-straight-man-not-harassment |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=2 August 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
It was later refiled as Senate Bill No. 1558 consolidating the three prior bills on August 16, 2017, with Senator Hontiveros as the principal author. It passed on the third reading on October 8, 2018, with all 21 Senators voting in favor.<ref name=senatebill>{{cite web |title=Senate Bill No. 1558, 17th Congress of the Republic |url=https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/senate-bill-no-1558-17th-congress-republic |website=Senate Legislative Resources |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref>
===House of Representatives=== The House of Representatives counterpart bill of what will later become the Safe Spaces Act of 2019 was House Bill No. 8794 or Safe Street, Public and Online Spaces. It was sponsored by Bernadette Herrera of Bagong Henerasyon on December 12, 2018. It was unanimously passed on the third reading on January 9, 2019, with all 208 legislators present voting in favor.<ref>{{cite web |title=House Bill No. 8794, 17th Congress of the Republic |url=https://ldr.senate.gov.ph/bills/house-bill-no-8794-17th-congress-republic |website=Senate Legislative Digital Resource |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref>
===Consolidation=== The Senate ratified the reconciled Safe Space Act on February 6, 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cervantes |first1=Filane Mikee |title=Senate ratifies Safe Spaces bill |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1061192 |access-date=9 November 2025 |agency=Philippine News Agency |date=6 February 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
===Signing into law and implementing rules=== President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill into law on April 17, 2019.<ref name=sign>{{cite news |last1=Parrocha |first1=Azer |title=Duterte signs law imposing heftier fines for sexual harassment |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1075014 |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=Philippine News Agency |date=15 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=nomore>{{cite news |last1=Corrales |first1=Nestor |title=No more catcalling: Duterte signs 'Bawal Bastos' law |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1142021/no-more-catcalling-duterte-signs-bawal-bastos-law |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=15 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Duterte's signing was only publicized on July 15, 2019,<ref name=sign/><ref name=nomore/> and hence it was earlier believed to have lapsed into law on April 21, 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title='BAWAL BASTOS' BILL {{!}} Safe Space Act lapses into law |url=https://news.tv5.com.ph/breaking/read/bawal-bastos-bill-safe-space-act-lapses-into-law |access-date=9 November 2025 |date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=De Lima applauds passage of 'Safe Spaces' Law |url=https://web.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2019/0604_delima2.asp |website=Senate of the Philippines |access-date=9 November 2025}}</ref> The law took effect on August 3, 2019.<ref name=primer>{{cite web |title=Primer on The Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act No. 11313) |url=https://dgo.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/SSA-Primer-Final_28Jun2021.pdf |publisher=UP Diliman Gender Office |access-date=9 November 2025 |date=25 June 2021}}</ref>
The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) drafted by a technical drafting committee led by the Philippine Commission on Women was signed on October 28, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Safe Spaces Act IRR signed |url=https://pcw.gov.ph/safe-spaces-act-irr-signed/ |access-date=9 November 2025 |date=30 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Luna |first1=Franco |title=Implementing rules for 'Bawal Bastos' Law signed |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/10/28/1964058/implementing-rules-bawal-bastos-law-signed |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=28 October 2019}}</ref>
==Scope== The Safe Spaces Act complements the existing Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (Republic Act No. 7877), penalizing acts not covered under said law. RA 7877 penalizes sexual harassment in the context of work, education, and training only. The Safe Spaces Act expands the scope of the older law. The Safe Spaces Act:<ref name=primer/>
*Covers offenses committed in the streets, public spaces, and online in addition to the workplace and educational/training setting. *Penalizes what it defines as "gender-based sexual harassment" (GBSH), or acts which causes mental, emotional or psychological distress to a person on the basis of gender, gender identity and/or expression *It dispenses the requirement of the perpetrator having authority, influence or moral ascendancy over the victim which is stipulated in RA 7877.
It is also noted to penalize acts against LGBTQ people.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gonzaga |first1=Pie |title=A List of Essential Laws Every LGBTQ+ Filipino Needs to Know |url=https://rollingstonephilippines.com/state-of-affairs/politics/laws-lgbtq-filipinos-need-to-know |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=Rolling Stone Philippines |date=7 February 2025}}</ref>
==Proposed amendments== On January 14, 2025, Senate Bill No. 2897 which proposes amendement to the Safe Spaces Act was passed in the third reading. The bill was still pending on the House of Representatives side.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tulad |first1=Victoria |title=Bill amending Safe Spaces Act to address AI passed on final reading in Senate|url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/14/bill-amending-safe-spaces-act-to-address-ai-passed-on-final-reading-in-senate-1946 |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=14 January 2025}}</ref><ref name=includingai>{{cite news |last1=Mangaluz |first1=Jean |title=Senate OKs bill including AI, emerging technologies in Safe Spaces Act |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/01/14/2414171/senate-oks-bill-including-ai-emerging-technologies-safe-spaces-act |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=14 January 2025}}</ref> The bill takes into account artificial intelligence technology for online sexual harassment, as well as expanding the definition to include streets and alleys in rural areas, fields, farms, coastal areas, and multi-purpose halls. It also provides clearer definition to sexual grooming.<ref name=includingai/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Rodrigo Duterte}}
Category:2019 in the Philippines Category:Philippine legislation Category:Anti-discrimination legislation Category:LGBTQ law in the Philippines Category:2019 legislation Category:Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte