Children seen in Cebu City’s streets to be sent home

Cebu City cops start to implement curfew ordinance as part of COVID-19 measure

Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, Cebu City Police Office chief, says police will start on March 14 to strictly implement Cebu City’s curfew ordinance, which prohibits children to be seen in city’s streets from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. without being accompanied by a guardian or a parent. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Children caught roaming or loitering in the streets at past 10 p.m. starting Saturday night (March 14, 2020) in Cebu City will be sent back home.

Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, Cebu City Police (CCPO) chief, said this after Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella ordered authorities to strictly implement the city’s Curfew Ordinance.

An order given as part of the measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Read more: No city lockdown, curfew to be implemented — Labella

Soriano said he had directed all the station commanders of the 11 police stations in the city to patrol the streets.

The CCPO chief said that the policemen should be the ones to send the children seen roaming in the streets at past 10 p.m. back home.

The Curfew Ordinance or the Cebu City Ordinance No. 1786 prohibits minors of any gender or sex, below 18 years old to be seen in the streets starting 10 p.m. until dawn without any guardian or parent with them.

He said that the curfew for children would start from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Children on streets and cops’ role

Children caught roaming in the streets at those curfew hours will be warned and asked to go home.

Soriano said if these children would still refuse to go home, then the policemen would be forced to bring these children to their homes in a police car.

“If they resist isakay namin sa mobile at dalhin namin kung saan sila nakatira kasi walang DSWD facility,” said Soriano.

(If they would resist, we will put them in a patrol car and we will drive them to where they live because the DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development]

Soriano, however, clarified that only the persons below 17 years old will be sent home while those who are above the age could continue with their other activities.

Read more: Labella suspends classes in all levels until March 28

Soriano said that they might also ask for identification cards from the individuals whose age that they found questionable.

He also encouraged the public to cooperate with the police during these patrols because it was still part of keeping them safe especially amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 threat.

Read more: Cebu City placed under state of calamity

The strict iplementation of the curfew hours will start at around 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., every day, starting tonight (Saturday, March 14) or until Labella lifts the order, said Soriano./dbs