HB 3953

House Bill 3953, officially known as the Anti-Pasaway Act of 2014 or Anti-Singit Bill, is a funny, trivial, yet oppressive and dangerous legislative initiative that, fortunately, was not enacted into law.

It aims to penalize individuals who “disrupt” public order by refusing to queue properly, with a 30-day to six-month imprisonment or a P10,000 to P20,000 fine — or both — at the discretion of the court.

Really now? But there is little comfort in this, as pending bills are easily refiled, resurrected and reintroduced under a different title.

The two partylist congressmen who authored this bill may have been inspired by George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked political power.

Published in 1949, the novel explores themes of totalitarianism, surveillance, propaganda and the suppression of individuality. Set in a grim future world dominated by a tyrannical regime, it serves as a stark warning against the perils of an overreaching government.

The bill’s premise is both alarming and laughable. If taken to its logical extreme, it could pave the way for a slew of similarly absurd offenses, such as masamang tumingin (dagger looks), masamang amoy (bad body odor), farting in public, bad breath, joining street demonstrations, frowning in disagreement with government directives, and other so-called non-conforming social behaviors.

It is not difficult to imagine the sheer number of violators of this Mickey Mouse bill, which would overburden our courts and clog the already overcrowded jails. Worse, it would encourage enterprising policemen to be excessively vigilant in apprehending so-called offenders.

It is not difficult to imagine the sheer number of violators of this Mickey Mouse bill, which would overburden our courts and clog the already overcrowded jails.

Laws like this would gradually but surely lead to thought control by an enigmatic and omnipresent Big Brother figure, as Orwell envisioned. Human dignity and personal autonomy are inalienable individual rights that should never be encroached upon by foolish laws.

If partylist representatives can only produce such unnecessary and disproportionate bills, then perhaps reducing — if not totally eliminating — the number of partylist congressmen would be justified.

Our gradual descent into a state of mind control — turning us into herds of sheep, statists, or zealots — will only be accelerated by the serial enactment of laws designed to control every aspect of life, including thought. Individual liberty will be sacrificed at the altar of public order, paving the way for a totalitarian, oppressive government armed with thoughtcrime laws enforced by thought police.

Humans will be reduced to robotic beings, programmed to obey orders and manipulated by a new language — what Orwell called Newspeak — which eliminates free thought.

If enacted into law, this bill would pose a clear and present danger to our freedom and liberty, as it could set a precedent for crafting more oppressive laws designed to enforce control and conformity. While it may start with regulating minor social behaviors, the gradual erosion of personal freedoms would not be difficult to imagine.

Rather than introducing unnecessary and ridiculous bills like this, Congress should focus on reviewing and repealing outdated or poorly crafted laws that unduly restrict freedom and burden society. Lawmakers should prioritize pressing societal issues — such as economic development, social justice, and public welfare — rather than enacting measures that overregulate personal behavior.

Meaningful legislation should aim to protect individual rights and liberties, promote fairness, and address systemic challenges — not stifle individuality and dissent.

As citizens, we must remain vigilant against policies that, under the guise of maintaining public order, erode personal freedoms. What may seem like minor regulations today could set dangerous precedents with long-term consequences that threaten the very liberties we cherish.