Safe Spaces Act

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Safe Spaces Act of 2019
Congress of the Philippines
  • 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
CitationRepublic Act No. 11313
Territorial extentPhilippines
Passed bySenate of the Philippines
PassedOctober 8, 2018
Passed byHouse of Representatives of the Philippines
PassedJanuary 9, 2019
Signed byRodrigo Duterte
SignedApril 17, 2019
EffectiveAugust 3, 2019
Legislative history
First chamber: Senate of the Philippines
Bill titleSafe Spaces Act of 2017
Bill citationSenate Bill No. 1558
Introduced byRisa Hontiveros
IntroducedAugust 16, 2017
Voting summary
  • 21 voted for
  • 3 absent
Second chamber: House of Representatives of the Philippines
Bill titleSafe Street, Public and Online Spaces Act of 2018
Bill citationHouse Bill No. 8794
Received from the Senate of the PhilippinesDecember 12, 2018
Member(s) in chargeBernadette Herrera
Voting summary
  • 208 voted for
Amends
Anti-Sexual Harassment Act
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

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Senate

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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.[1] Two more similar bills were filed; Senate Bill No. 1254 by Senator Grace Poe on November 22, 2016,[2] and Senate Bill No. 1326 by Hontiveros on February 14, 2017.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

House of Representatives

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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.[6]

Consolidation

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The Senate ratified the reconciled Safe Space Act on February 6, 2019.[7]

Signing into law and implementing rules

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President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill into law on April 17, 2019.[8][9] Duterte's signing was only publicized was only publicized on July 15, 2019,[8][9] and hence it was earlier believed to have lapsed into law on April 21, 2019.[10][11] The law took effect on August 3, 2019.[12]

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.[13][14]

Scope

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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:[12]

  • 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.[15]

Proposed amendments

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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.[16][17] The bill takes into account artificial intelligence technology for online sexual harrasment, 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.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Senate Bill No. 1250, 17th Congress of the Republic". Senate Legislative Resources. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  2. ^ "Senate Bill No. 1254, 17th Congress of the Republic". Senate Legislative Resources. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  3. ^ "Senate Bill No. 1326, 17th Congress of the Republic". Senate Legislative Resources. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Cepeda, Cody (August 2, 2018). "Sotto on straight man groping another straight man: 'Not harassment'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  5. ^ "Senate Bill No. 1558, 17th Congress of the Republic". Senate Legislative Resources. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  6. ^ "House Bill No. 8794, 17th Congress of the Republic". Senate Legislative Digital Resource. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  7. ^ Cervantes, Filane Mikee (February 6, 2019). "Senate ratifies Safe Spaces bill". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Parrocha, Azer (July 15, 2019). "Duterte signs law imposing heftier fines for sexual harassment". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Corrales, Nestor (July 15, 2019). "No more catcalling: Duterte signs 'Bawal Bastos' law". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  10. ^ "'BAWAL BASTOS' BILL | Safe Space Act lapses into law". May 28, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  11. ^ "De Lima applauds passage of 'Safe Spaces' Law". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Primer on The Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act No. 11313)" (PDF). UP Diliman Gender Office. June 25, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  13. ^ "Safe Spaces Act IRR signed". October 30, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  14. ^ Luna, Franco (October 28, 2019). "Implementing rules for 'Bawal Bastos' Law signed". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  15. ^ Gonzaga, Pie (February 7, 2025). "A List of Essential Laws Every LGBTQ+ Filipino Needs to Know". Rolling Stone Philippines. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  16. ^ Tulad, Victoria (January 14, 2025). "Bill amending Safe Spaces Act to address AI passed on final reading in Senate". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Mangaluz, Jean (January 14, 2025). "Senate OKs bill including AI, emerging technologies in Safe Spaces Act". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 9, 2025.