REPUBLIC ACT NO.

11313 or the
“SAFE SPACES ACT”

JENNY ANN S. VEGILLA

SPEAKER
Teacher III
 President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that
penalizes wolf whistling, catcalling, misogynistic and
homophobic slurs, unwanted sexual advances, and other
forms of sexual harassment in public places, workplaces,
and schools as well as in online spaces.
The law, called the Safe Spaces Act or Republic Act No
11313, was signed on April 17. A copy of the law was made
public on Monday, July 15, by Akbayan Senator Risa
Hontiveros, who principally authored and sponsored the
measure in the Senate.
The law also penalizes online sexual harassment,
including sexual slurs in private messages.

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act
Forms of sexual harassment and corresponding penalties imposed by Safe
Spaces Act:
First degree offenses:
 Cursing
 Catcalling
 Wolf-whistling
 Leering and intrusive gazing
 Taunting, unwanted invitations
 Misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist slurs
 Persistent unwanted comments on one’s appearance
 Relentless requests for personal details such as name, contact,
and social media details; or destination
 Use of words, gestures, or actions that ridicule on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation; identity and/or
expression including sexist, homophobic, transphobic statements and slurs
 Persistent telling of sexual jokes
 Use of sexual names, comments, and demands
 Any statement that has made an invasion on a person’s personal space or threatens the person’s sense of personal
safety Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act
 Forms of sexual harassment and corresponding penalties imposed by Safe
Spaces Act:

Penalty:

 1st offense: P1,000-fine and

12-hour community service
with Gender Sensitivity Seminar
 2nd offense: 6-10 days in prison/P3,000 fine 
 3rd offense: 11-30 days in prison and P10,000-fine

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Forms of sexual harassment and corresponding penalties imposed by Safe
Spaces Act:

 2nd degree offenses:

 Making offensive body
gestures at someone
 Public masturbation
 Flashing of private parts
 Groping
 Similar lewd actions

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Forms of sexual harassment and corresponding penalties imposed by Safe
Spaces Act:

Penalty

 1st offense: 11-30 days in prison/P30,000-fine with attendance to

Gender Sensitivity Seminar
 2nd offense: 1 month and 1 day to 6 months in prison and P50,000-
fine
 3rd offense: 4 months and 1 day to 6 months in prison/P100,000-fine

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Online Harassment
 is defined by the law as the “use of information and communication technology in terrorizing and
intimidating
 victims through physical, psychological, and emotional threats.”

Forms of online sexual harassment and

penalties for each are as follows

 Unwanted sexual misogynistic, transphobic,

homophobic, and sexist remarks and comments online
whether publicly or through direct and private messages
 Invasion of victim’s privacy through cyberstalking
and incessant messaging

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Online Harassment
 Uploading and sharing without the
consent of the victims, any form of
media that contains photos, voice,
or video with sexual content
 Unauthorized recording and sharing
of any of the victim’s photos, videos,
or any information online
 Impersonating identities of victims
online or posting lies about victims to harm their reputation
 Filing false abuse reports to online platforms to silence victims

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Online Harassment

Penalty
 2 years, 4 months, and 1 day to 4 years and 2 months in prison or
P100,000 to P500,000–fine, or both

The law puts the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cybercrime

Group (PNPACG) in charge of apprehending violators. The
PNPACG must develop an online mechanism for reporting, in “real
time,” gender-based online sexual harassment

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

Responsibility of establishments. To make sure these acts are
punished, the law orders that the management of restaurants, cinemas,
malls, bars, and other privately-owned places open to the public adopt
a “zero-tolerance policy.”
Responsibility of LTO, LTFRB. It will be the Land Transportation
Office and Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board that will
penalize drivers of public utility vehicles.
Responsibility of local government units. LGUs are to pass an
ordinance localizing the national law within 60 days of the law’s
effectivity. LGUs shall bear the “primary responsibility” of enforcing
the law.

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Sexual harassment in workplaces, educational institutions

“An act or series of acts involving any unwelcome sexual

advances, requests or demand for sexual favors or any act
of sexual nature, whether done verbally, physical or
through the use of technology such as text messaging or
electronic mail or through any other forms of information
and communication systems, that has or could have
detrimental effect on the conditions of an individual’s
employment or education, job performance or
opportunities.”

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

 Employers and other persons of authority must
prevent or punish these acts, says the law. Among
actions they must pursue is the creation of an
independent internal committee to address complaints
and investigate them. The committee should be headed
by a woman and must be at least half composed of
women.
The same responsibility is placed on the shoulders of
school heads for sexual harassment in educational and
training institutions.

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act

Republic Act No. 11313 Safe Spaces Act