Osmeña defers curfew ordinance enforcement

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will not enforce City Ordinance 1786 or the Curfew Ordinance due to the absence of shelter for rescued minors.

This is contrary to the mayor’s earlier order to barangay tanods to strictly implement the ordinance to address the problem of gangs in the city.

“We are not going to implement the curfew ordinance because we don’t know where to put them. What will we do with the kids? That was my first objection, do not make an ordinance which you cannot implement,” Osmeña said.

The mayor said the city government cannot implement it due to the lack of a center for the rescued minors.

“I can’t do anything about it. What do you want me to do? Should it be implemented? If we can, yes but we cannot. So if anyone wants to implement it, fine. Don’t give it to us because we don’t know what to do with them,” Osmeña said.

He admitted that he made a mistake when he ordered the strict implementation of the curfew ordinance.

“Did I make a mistake? Yes I made a mistake, sorry. I am just going to admit it. Is this a bad situation? Yes, this is a bad situation but I am not going to do something which I cannot,” Osmeña added.

However, the mayor gives the barangays freedom to implement it within their respective jurisdiction.

Association of Barangay Council president Phillip Zafra said the barangays will still continue to implement the curfew ordinance.

“We will continue with the implementation. Our policy is we will rescue the kids and bring them to the barangay hall. Then we will call the parents through the Gender and Development office,” he said.

By implementing the curfew ordinance, Zafra said minors will not be exposed to illegal activities in the streets.