Man arrested for not standing during national anthem in movie theater

A man was arrested in Clark, Pampanga for not standing while the national anthem was played in a movie theater.

A report on GMA's "24 Oras" identified the man as Bayle Einstein Gonzales, 20, who reportedly refused to stand even when he was told to do so by Charge D'Affaires to Iraq Elmer Cato, who was also in the cinema.

Cato was reported to have told Gonzales to stand up twice, but the latter refused to do so and instead ate popcorn.

After the movie, Cato asked help from police officials to arrest Gonzales, who has denied the allegations.

Gonzales will face charges of violating the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines and could be fined from P5,000 to P20,000 and jailed for as long as a year.

Earlier this year, House Bill 5224 mandating stricter compliance with the rules on showing reverence to national symbols was approved on third and final reading and transmitted to the Senate, but was met with mixed reactions from legal experts. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News