MANILA, Philippines — A youth organization criticized the Manila government’s new ordinance prohibiting motorcycle riders from using masks or other face coverings, calling it “an infringement on basic human rights that criminalizes ordinary activities of citizens.”
On Nov. 3, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso approved Ordinance No. 9134, or the Anti-Balaclava Ordinance, “to deter criminal activities and assist law enforcement in the prevention and investigation of crimes by regulating the use of motorcycle helmets and other face-covering headgear in public establishments.”
According to Domagoso, the ordinance aims to prevent crimes such as robberies and thefts, often committed by motorcycle-riding suspects.
“Instead of addressing poverty, unemployment, and gaps in public safety infrastructure, Manila’s local government is targeting ordinary people whose livelihoods and mobility depend on these garments,” the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Spark) said in a statement on Sunday.
The youth group warned that vague and discretionary clauses, particularly those requiring individuals to remove headgear upon orders from police, barangay officials, or security personnel, “could lead to profiling, harassment, and arbitrary stops.”
Under the ordinance, people can be penalized for concealing their faces with bonnets, ski masks, bandanas, handkerchiefs, caps, hats, hoodies, or similar coverings while riding a motorcycle or when alighting.
Riders are also prohibited from using face coverings inside commercial and government offices, and other establishments. Violators face fines ranging from P1,000 to P5,000.
Exemptions apply to law enforcers on duty, seriously ill patients, and persons required to wear turbans or other headgear for religious reasons.
According to Spark, effective peace and order should come from community-focused reforms that strengthen public systems, promote values formation, and address socioeconomic issues, rather than imposing punitive ordinances that treat ordinary citizens as potential criminals.
“The Anti-Balaclava Ordinance bypasses human rights, civil liberties, and constitutional freedoms. Manila’s leaders should reconsider it before it becomes a tool of abuse,” Spark said.
The youth group added that it will continue mobilizing students and citizens to oppose measures that criminalize everyday life and threaten civil liberties.
A similar ordinance was passed by the Mandaue City Council in Cebu in 2018 but was lifted the following year, citing its ineffectiveness in preventing crime and its negative impact on poor residents.
Spark did not confirm whether it would challenge the legality of Manila’s ordinance before the Supreme Court.
If it does, it would not be the first time Spark has sought SC intervention. In July 2016, Spark petitioned the high court to halt curfew ordinances in Metro Manila, which police had begun enforcing more strictly at the start of the Duterte administration.
The group filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition to question “unjust and repressive” local laws in Manila, Quezon City, and Navotas, citing restrictions on freedom of movement.
The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order until August 2017, when it partially granted the petition, nullifying the curfew ordinances of Manila and Navotas.
Quezon City’s curfew ordinance, however, was stayed because it penalized parents or guardians of curfew violators. Manila and Navotas have since passed new curfew ordinances. /mcm