Balaclava ban vs crime intent

Wearing headwear in public areas and establishments around Manila was implemented to assist law enforcement agencies and deter individuals who commit crimes while concealing their identities, a city official said.

Speaking during DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk program, Manila Councilor Rosalino “Jhun” Ibay explained that the ordinance that was first implemented in November 2025 was not intended to suppress the expression of the public.

“As we said, it was done not for people who use balaclavas with no criminal intent. So it’s only for those with criminal intent. Actually, we have seen on social media or social posts, public posts that there are many criminals that use balaclavas,” he said.

Aside from headwear, Ibay said they had also observed incidents where individuals wore media personnel uniforms while committing crimes.

Profiling, harassment feared

Notably, the ordinance faced major pushback from numerous civic groups, claiming the restriction infringed on their “basic human right” because it supposedly criminalized an “ordinary activity of citizens.”

The protesters feared the ordinance could lead to “profiling” and “harassment” from officials, especially since violating the guidance was punishable by a fine ranging from P1,000 to P5,000.

Despite the opposition, Ibay maintained that the guideline focused solely on safeguarding the public from people with ill intentions.

“I did that law to prevent crime, people who commit crime and conceal their identity. Our guideline is simply focused on people who commit crime in the city of Manila,” he said.

Ibay further stated that all the ordinances they passed aligned with Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno.

“Like I said earlier, we align our guidelines with all of the programs of Mayor Isko Moreno. To make Manila great again, we must make Manila safe again,” he stated.

As part of the anti-crime initiatives, the local government recently passed another ordinance requiring the installation of CCTVs in all business establishments.