Fight inside Operation Second Chance an ‘isolated case’

Ambrocio Ibonez, officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Operation Second Chance Center, says tje two children in conflict with the law (CICL) were involved in a physical altercation on Thursday afternoon, September 5, which resulted to one child stabbing the other on the back. | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The officer-in-charge of Operation Second Chance Center in Barangay Kalunasan described the fight between two children in conflict with the law as an isolated case.

Ambrocio Ibonez said the house parents were aware that two young persons were involved in a conflict due to a love triangle.

During the physical altercation on September 5, one boy stabbed the other with an improvised weapon, a sharpened knife.

Ibonez said they immediately brought the wounded child to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

He said this conflict started even when the minors were still outside of the facility.

They were taken into the center after allegedly committing certain crimes.

The facility’s management did not reveal the youths’ ages and details of the case to protect the minors.

The protocol to resolve internal conflicts between residents — the term used to refer to CICL living inside the center — involves the house parents being engaged in a conversation or series of conversations with the minors to identify the root cause of the conflict.

When a physical altercation occurs, the residents involved will undergo counselling to identify possible ways to solve the conflict and prevent another outburst of physical violence between conflicting residents.

Ibonez said they called the attention of the two CICLs following the report of former house parents over their standing conflict.

Ibonez said the conflict had been resolved so he did not expect that the two would engage in fight.

“Amo na na silang gipatawag sa una. Wa lang mi kahibaw nga lawm na diay ang pagdumot sa usa kay ang vidaug-daug siya sa pikas didto pa sa gawas,” he said.

(We already called their attention. We just did not know that the conflict was deeply rooted because one of the parties was bullied by the other when they were still outside the facility).

READ: Love rivalry’ led to a fight inside Operation Second Chance

Ibonez said there was no riot inside the facility.

He said it was a case of other CICLs trying to break up the fight.

Ibonez noted that these incidents do not happen in the facility every day.

Like any other teenagers, the residents are prone to rivalries, misunderstanding, and complicated background stories involving violence and crimes.

The center has enlisted the help of non-government organizations to provide rehabilitation activities for the minors including bible study sessions.

Other organizations visit the facility to help rehabilitate the CICLs through skills training, sports, and personality-building activities.

Ibonez said the September 5 incident is a wake-up call to the house parents to be more in touch with the children.

He emphasized the importance of listening to the children.

Currently, there are 82 residents at the Operation Second Chance, a facility for CICL located in Barangay Kalunasan.

Most of the residents’ cases are still active. If the resident is found guilty, he or she will be moved to the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth in Argao town, Cebu. / celr