The mayor of the Philippines town, Binalonan has banned spreading rumours and gossips in the town. Offenders who spread gossips and rumours in public will be punished. First-time offenders will be fined 230RS (3 Euro) and have to collect garbage. If the offender repeats the crime then will be fined around 1171 Rupees(15 Euro).
Binalonan, in the province of Pangasinan, north of the capital Manila, has made the move in time for next month’s local elections.
It has been driven by the town’s mayor, Ramon Guico, who dismissed gossip, or chismis, as Filipinos call it, as a ‘waste of time’. The Mayor says the chin-wagging always gets worse in the summer, when residents gather under palm trees, fueling rumours of cheating and financial ruin.
The neighbourhood of Moreno in the town was the first to bring in a ban in 2017. Local council leader Jovelyn Manaois is responsible for investigating those accused of breaching the ban.
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