A Catholic bishop has expressed support for proposals in the Philippine Senate to pass a law that will ban all forms of physical punishment of children.
Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila said, "the best way to discipline" children is to show them that they are "valued and loved" not to hurt them.
At least three bills have been filed in the Senate in recent weeks that will punish adults who use "physical force or degrading acts" upon a child as punishment.
In her proposal, Senator Grace Poe said corporal punishment "teaches the child that violence is an acceptable behavior and is a solution to problems."
Senator Nancy Binay said every child has the "right to special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development."
Senator Risa Hontiveros said imposing physical, verbal, psychological cruelty on children "creates injuries that can affect their emotional and mental development, and can haunt and scar them for life."
Bishop Pabillo, meanwhile, said children should be shown that "we value and love them, we explain things to them."
"We teach them what is right and wrong. What is moral and not," he said.