Parents of rescued minors to face raps if their kids are caught again

Parents of rescued minors to face raps if their kids are caught again

PARENTS of some minors who were rescued last week under the two bridges in Barangays Banilad and Mabolo may be charged in court if their children are rounded up again, the Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) warned.

In a press briefing yesterday, DSWS Chief Ester Concha said the parents were made to sign a commitment order before their children were released to them.

Conditions

They vowed they won’t let their children commit illegal acts and loiter on the streets.

Parents of 40 rescued minors were asked to ap- pear before the DSWS so the office could brief them of their constitutional responsibilities toward their children.

“It was stated under the commitment that they will be punished if found that their children will still be included in our future rescue operations,” Concha said.

Also present during the press briefing were heads of the City Anti-Mendicancy Board (Camb), City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (Ceset) and the City Office for Substance Abuse and Prevention.

Lawyer Jocelyn Pesquera, Camp chairperson, said that under the Repub-

lic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, parents who abandon their children can be sanctioned.

Last week, the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council led by Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, DSWS, Ceset, police personnel and officials of two barangays conducted a “reaching out” operation against children and teenagers who were allegedly engaged in illegal activities.

Problematic

During the operation, operatives found that most of the minors were into illegal activities like sniffing rugby and they were using the two bridges as their hideout.

Ceset Chief Grace Luardo said they talked to parents of the female minors who were housed in their office.

Luardo said they learned that the children chose to live on the street because their parents didn’t have time for them.

“Ang ubang (Some) parents are into illegal drugs, uban mangulata mao nga ang mga bata di ganahan mouli sa ilang mga balay (some physically abuse their children so the children don’t want to go home), most of them are really problematic,” she said.

Concha admitted that some of the rescued minors returned to the areas where they were picked up.

Because of this, Concha said, the City should implement the comprehensive plan for street families.

The plan, which will be a joint undertaking with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), will provide each street family a chance to avail itself of an educational program for the children and livelihood for the parents.

This year, the DSWD granted the City P6 million in funds to implement the plan. However, the memorandum of agreement between the two is pending for approval before the City Council.