Dela Rosa wants nationwide curfew for kids
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa said a nationwide curfew is one an ideal approach against juvenile delinquency. Dela Rosa said that he even sees the nationwide cur- few as a best counter-measure on the abuses being done at the expense of the Juvenile Welfare Act sponsored by Senator Francis Pangilinan.
“That is my dream even when I was still a colonel. I hope that this is already done because this has been the long source of frustration of the PNP,” said dela Rosa.
He then cited a case wherein he was able to arrest a minor who was being used by drug traffickers as a drug mule.
He bared that drug traders hang out in Internet cafés and spot minors bent on playing more online games but have run out of money.
“He (drug pushers) would observe those who are hooked on video games and offer them money in exchange for delivering cakes. The minors are not aware that what they delivering are not cakes but shabu,” said Dela Rosa.
“So they are using the children as drug couriers,” he stressed.
Dela Rosa said one drug pusher in Davao was able to exploit a number of children using the same scheme.
The problem is that when the children are arrested, no charges would be filed and they would be just turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The children would then be released to the parents with the possibility that the same children would be exploited again.
“There were a lot of similar cases so that law (Juvenile Welfare Act) is really our frustration,” said Dela Rosa.