Press Release - Sen. Robin: Sandro Hearings Trigger Updated Legislation vs Sexual Harassment

The hearings of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on the sexual harassment case involving actor Sandro Muhlach has triggered legislation against sexual harassment in the workplace, with at least three bills having been filed on the issue.

But Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla, who chairs the committee, said there is still a long way to go as many relevant laws are badly outdated, some of them based on a Revised Penal Code dating back to the 1930s.

"Meron tayong panukalang batas ito na gawin natin ito, i-file natin ito... mapagaralan doon para maging batas at matigil ang mangyari pa. Ang nangyari na matagal na tingnan natin kung anong panukalang batas ang pwedeng malinang para maharap ang reklamo at karanasan nitong mga taong gustong magsalita ngayon ay titingnan natin pero sa ngayon sa ginawa naming pagdinig yan ang panukalang batas na aming nalinang (We have filed bills that I hope will be studied and eventually passed, so sexual harassment will stop. We continue to see what bills can be filed to address the issue; for now, these are the bills we have come up with)," Padilla said at the committee's hearing on Wednesday.

"Sa ngayon meron tayong panukalang batas na nalinang, hayaan natin itong mga panukalang batas na ito mapasakamay sa committee kung saan mapupunta at isang araw maging batas (For now, we have crafted these bills, that we hope will pass through the committees and someday become law)," he added.

Also, Padilla said that after consulting his legal staff, he has decided to allow only legal experts in the next hearings, to prevent possible sensationalism and grandstanding.

He added that while they wish to continue hearing from legal experts who wish to contribute to solving the problem, he is considering making the next committee hearing the final one.

"Sa aming paguusap wala nang maitutulong ang pagiging sensationalized ng paksa na ito (In our discussions, we concluded that sensationalizing will not help)," he said.

So far, Padilla said the committee hearings have led to the filing of at least three bills:

* Senate Bill 2777, which pushes heavier penalties, including death, against sexual assault, by strengthening the Anti-Rape