CUTTING lines may now be panelized soon in Baguio City.
The new law proposed by Councilor Joel Alangsab seeks to prohibit breaking, cutting and disrupting waiting lines has been filed at the city council.
The Alangsab law prohibits; overtly or covertly enter a line at any position other than the end which may include joining others in the line or using any instrument or scheme to save a slot or space in a line.
Alangsab said “Such lack of discipline or being “pasaway” is really irksome and sometimes the cause of squabbles and rant over the social media.”
Under the proposed amendments, the breakup of a line or employ devices and schemes to disrupt the order and cause confusion as to the order of persons in physical or virtual line; The use of any physical force, threats, intimidation or influence by virtue of power, social status, prominence, or reputation to cut in, break up, or disrupt the order of a line.
The law also prohibits to employ devices, schemes, and deceit in order to cut in, break up, or disrupt the order of a line; or Knowingly giving consent to the foregoing act by allowing another person to insert, cut in, break up or disrupt the order of a line.
The law also seeks to exempt senior citizens defined under R.A. 9994, persons with disabilities defined in R.A No. 7432, pregnant women, women with babies and persons who by reason of health, national security or public interest needed immediate goods and/or services, are exempt from the provisions of the ordinance.
The law was filed to amend the 1990 ordinance Baguio making it mandatory to always follow “First Come, First Served” in all instances with penalties aiming to maintain discipline among its citizenry and in accordance to House Bill No. 3953 known as the "Anti-Pasaway Act of 2014."
Penalties are pegged at P1,000 to P5,000. The amendments were passed on the first reading during Monday’s regular session.