City dad wants higher penalty vs vandalism

A CITY councilor is pushing to increase the penalty against vandals to P3,000 to P5,000 in a bid to discourage them from vandalizing properties.

Councilor J. Melchor Quitain Jr. is currently pushing for the amendment of Section 2 of Ordinance no. 0332-68, series of 1968, known as “An ordinance prohibiting the defacing, scribbling and/or writing on the walls of public and private buildings and/or fences exposed to the public view, and providing penalties for the violation thereof.”

“The City of Davao through the Executive Department proposed to increase the penalties of several City Ordinances because the penalties no longer deter violators,” Quitain said during the regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, October 1.

Originally, Section 2 states that any person found violating the ordinance shall be imprisoned of not more than 30 days or a fine of not more than P50 or both in the discretion of the Court.

With the proposed amended, the penalties had now been increased to P3,000 or one month imprisonment or both at the direction of the court for the first offense, P4,000 or two months imprisonment or both at the discretion of the court, and P5,000 or three months imprisonment or both at the discretion of the court for the third and subsequent offense.

During a committee hearing held last September 18, Quitain said the committee on rules, privileges, laws and ordinances recognized that destruction or defacing of any public or private buildings is a crime which constitutes Malicious Mischief punishable by Articles 327, 328, and 329 of the Revised Penal Code.

"Nevertheless, despite the aforequoted provisions of the Revised Penal Code, the Committee still finds City Ordinance No. 0332-68, Series of 1968 relevant and recommends to increase the penalties to the maximum and also to increase the penalty for imprisonment therefore," Quitain said.

The item was passed for second reading on Tuesday, and has yet to be passed on third and final reading.