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A lawmaker in the Philippines has introduced a bill designed to prevent minors from puchasing violent video games.
As reported by the Asian Journal, the measure proposed by Rep. Narciso Santiago (left) could imprison retailers for up to one year for selling mature-themed games to underage buyers.
Santiago cited studies showing increased aggressiveness following violent game play. The lawmaker commented:
[The state has] compelling interests to prevent violent, aggressive, asocial behavior [and] prevent psychological harm to minors who play violent video games, and prevent physical harm to the victims of violent minors, including other minors.... It is also the responsibility of the state to eliminate any societal factors that may inhibit the psychological and neurological development of the youth and facilitate the health development of the youth into well-meaning productive adults.
GP: Our old pal Jack Thompson wrote in a comment to another story that Santiago's bill is patterned after his 2006 legislation from Louisiana. That bill failed miserably under US constitutional law, but made for good theater, nonetheless (see: The Circus Comes to Louisiana)...
Comments
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
I'm all for freedom of ttnet vitamin speech and allowing rent a car game makers to put whatever they want in games, but there's one thing about this app that has me scratching my head. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from araç kiralama the previous article araba kiralama on this I gathered that players can use Google maps in-game to find the other (real-life?) dealers in their area. If this is the case, has travesti anyone considered what's stopping someone from using this app to actually move drugs between hands for reals?
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Welcome to the Philippine Congress.
Now, this happens everytime some lardass in the Congress*coughFAIL* forgets that he should be doing something better.
Maybe we should jail the parents for failure too? Happy Meal.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
This is funny. All this is, is a politician being a politician by trying to look moral. I don't know him, but I'm going to bet he's corrupt, like a lot of the politicians over there. The fact of the matter is, the coppers in the PI won't care about retailers anyways. This law won't be enforced if passed.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
[The state MUST HAVE] compelling interests to prevent corrupt, apathetical, and just plain evil behavior [and] prevent psychological (and financial) harm to the populace who see their taxes being used for worthless projects like this anti-videogame bill, and prevent physical (and financial) harm to the victims of violently money-hungry politicians, including a conniving little midget named GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO.... It is also the often-forgotten responsibility of the state to eliminate any societal factors that may inhibit the long-standing and hardly-noticed development of eliminating THE SOCIAL CANCER and facilitate the development of the nation into well-meaning, GOD-FEARING, and PATRIOTIC citizens, which is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than BANNING VIDEO GAMES.
THIS ANTI-VIDEOGAME LAW IS VERY REMINISCENT OF THE MARCOS ERA.
SERIOUSLY, THE MEDIA REALLY NEEDS TO STOP SENSATIONALIZING THIS ISSUE (I'M TALKING TO YOU, JESSICA SOHO).
THEY'RE REALLY STARTING TO LOOK STUPID.
Found an official press release...
GP, I found the Bill's official press release from the Philippine House of Representatives website:
http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=2442
Btw, what happened to the Asian Journal link? It's gone.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
suuuure....
like those anti-pirating laws and drive actually DID anything.. i doubt this will be effective..
PS.. i live in the Philippines...
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Plus there's the whole economic thing not to mention wide spread prostitution/human trafficking/child prostitution and the whole "sex tourism" thing that's rampant there and the organized crime that controls it and laws that aren't being enforced (police corruption FTL) to try and stop or prevent it. I'd say the Philippines have much bigger problems than violent videogames. But eh, typical politician crap, go for the "easy" stuff, not issues that actually would require work to solve.
I think it's time there were riots again over there. The government needs a good over throwing.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Interestingly enough, there are only a few "original" game retailers in the philippines since most are sold "under the table". They already have enough trouble trying to get rid of all the pirated copies of software as it is. Malls practically have stores that sell pirated copies out in the open even with the crackdown on pirated software.
Another point, would be interesting if congress actually passes a law since most of the time they fight amongst themselves to get any actual work done
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Mr. Santiago, you have no idea what the hell you're talking about. I'm also a Filipino and have been playing "violent games" both off and online since the advent of Doom. Where am I now? Working and paying my taxes like a good citizen should so are all my friends who I played with. Why don't you go back and do some research on this topic as well as resolve some of the more pressing issues in our country before you do this?
You, Mr. Santiago, are a waste of the tax payers money. It sickens me to know that you get a cut of the taxes I pay for every year.
Filipino here...
I am a Filipino, and this much I have to say regarding Santiago's bill:
PUTANG INA.
Sure - expose us to all these half-wit TV shows (I'm talking to YOU, ABS-CBN!), all the crime and murders that happen on a daily basis, and the bombings happening in Mindanao. And then you think THAT is what's corrupting the youth? Try generations of negligence and corruption that sends a message that there is nothing to hope for in our f***ed up country!
For the guys wondering, the Philippine government's lost considerable credibility over the years, and has developed a bad reputation for trying to silence its critics with lawsuits and/or politcal assasinations. For example, the MTRCB, our film ratings board, gave an X rating normally used for porn films to a documentary that was critical of the Arroyo Admnistration.
The House of Representatives, to whom Santiago belongs, is particularly unpopular and is famous for their grandstanding though hardly ever actually resolving important issues.
Re: Filipino here...
Uhh... May I ask what Putang Ina means?
I AM A LOST SOUL, CONDEMNED TO HAUNT THE DREAMS OF JOHN BRUCE "JACK" THOMPSON UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS. SOMEONE, PLEASE! END MY SUFFERING!
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Re: Filipino here...
It's Tagalog for "Son of a w***e!" It's our equivalent to "Son of a B***h!"
Re: Filipino here...
Ah, thanks.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Hey let's send people to prison, just in case.
Orwellian
"It is also the responsibility of the state to eliminate any societal factors that may inhibit the psychological and neurological development of the youth"
Sounds like something out of 1984
Funny...
Because last I checked, the primary affectors of the "psychological and neurological development of the youth" here was the rampant corruption in congress, and the fact that more than a tenth of our people live below the poverty line.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
People turning violent as they grow up is more likely when they are VICTIMS or WITNESSES to a dometic crime.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Note to the soon-to-be former attorney Jack Thompson: The Philippines do not have the same constitutional rights that the U.S. has.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
This.
Some things that may be ok in other countries don't fly in the US.
His attempted comparison between the UK and USA come to mind.
Re: Philippine Game Law Proposal Could Jail Retailers for a Year
Wjhat is that giant grey blob above GP's comment? Is it supposed to be the article?