Should ghosting become a crime?
Much like the supernatural phenomenon, ghosting happens when the person you’re talking to disappears without a trace. (Image: DailyOrange)
Where do broken hearts go? Apparently, to the House of Representatives.
Earlier this week, Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. filed a bill to declare ghosting an emotional offense. Teves Jr., who made a name for himself by wanting to rename the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to “Ferdinand E. Marcos International Airport,” said that ghosting makes room for serious feelings of neglect and rejection.
House Bill No. 611 was forwarded to the House of Representatives Committee on Health during their Tuesday session.
How to catch a ghost
All three pages of H.B. 611 are dedicated to merely defining terms such as ghosting, emotional abuse, and a dating relationship.
Dating, according to the bill, refers to those who “live as husband and wife without the benefits of marriage or are romantically involved over time and on a continuing basis during the course of the relationship.” This excludes people who are casual business or social acquaintances. It also, by definition, excludes same-sex relationships as if ghosting doesn't happen to LGBTQ+ people.
In his explanatory note, Teves Jr. says that the ambiguity of ghosting robs the “victim” of real closure and this can lead to mental and physical distress out of concern for the “offender” or worry over the reasons for the ghosting.
One might expect that a bill aimed at declaring an act an offense would also state what’s to come from people found guilty of said offense. But in this, Teves Jr. offers nothing, not even a fine. There are no stated action points or processes either.
Where should one go when reporting a ghoster? What authority takes charge of processing these reports? Is ghosting limited to online communication alone? What evidence is needed in order for someone to be considered “ghosted”?
Does this lack of answers mean Teves Jr. is ghosting us?
Publicity on the public's tab
Much like his airport renaming plan, the proposed bill was criticized for being a waste of time. People questioned the need for the government to get involved in personal matters of this level and even whether or not this was a cause to pour taxpayer money into. (Answer: It’s not.)
“There are matters of the heart (and [of] relationships) that the law does not need to regulate,” tweeted lawyer Nico C. Valderrama. Similarly, Rappler reporter Dwight de Leon wrote that it’s unclear where in the world this bill would be beneficial and whether this should really be Teves Jr.'s priority on his last term in Congress. Actor Ramon Bautista even called on the government to establish a “Department of Love” and put up love clinics in barangays.
The consensus sides with them that there are more important things for representatives like Teves Jr. to worry about, other than the name of an airport or people’s failed talking stages. If Teves Jr. is truly concerned about a person’s mental health, he can champion the proper implementation of the Mental Health Act, of which the support by local and national government remains dismal.
While the proposal has minimal chances of actually getting through legislation, it says a lot about the lengths lawmakers can go just for their 15 minutes of fame.
