Carbon clash: CCPO to conduct parallel probe on kids used as human shields
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will conduct a parallel investigation regarding the March 11, 2022 commotion between the Cebu City market personnel and the Carbon market vendors, who allegedly used kids as human shields during the incident. | screenshot of the video courtesy of Councilor Joel Garganera (file photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office will conduct a parallel investigation regarding those children used as human shields during the Carbon clash last March 11, 2022.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, chief of operations of CCPO, said that they had yet to receive the formal request coming from the city government on this concern.
Regardless, Rafter said that they would conduct an investigation on this matter to determine first if the children joined the clash voluntarily or they were forced to join.
She said that they would have a parallel investigation aside from the investigation of the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7).
“As per the pronouncement of Councilor (Joel) Garganera, we will coordinate with the CSWS (City Social Welfare Service) and we will conduct a joint investigation of this matter because we have to determine man gud if they have joined it voluntarily or they were forced,” Rafter said.
“If they were forced, it’s another story, but despite that whatever the result of our investigation might be as we go along, we have to conduct still interventions [including lectures] sa mga parents [to parents]. We have to discourage them from using their kids,” she said.
READ: Probe kids’ involvement in Carbon commotion – Cebu City Council
Admitting that it would be challenging for them to identify who were the parents of those children, Rafter said that they would summon those identified individuals who participated in the Carbon clash as part of their investigation.
She also further appealed to the public to always prioritize the safety of their children against any personal affairs.
“Sa atoang katilingban not only in that area, I want to make an appeal. Ginikanan man gyud ta, let us always consider the safety sa atoang mga anak. We have our own opinion, but atoang ibutang atoang anak sa pinakataas nga importansya. Let us consider the safety sa atoang mga anak,” she added.
(To our community, not only in that area, I want to make an appeal. Since we are parents, let us consider the safety of our children. We have our own opinion, but we should always must consider the safety of our children as our most important priority.)
Last March 11, 2022, the commotion happened after Bagsakan vendors at Unit II resisted the installation of yellow railings in front of their stalls because these blocked them from access to their customers.
READ: Carbon Market tensions heat up; vendors, Market Authority personnel clash
Recently, Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, CCPO information officer, said that police presence during the said ‘quick commotion’ was to ensure peace and order.
Macatangay said that the putting of railings there was needed for road clearing purposes.
RELATED STORIES
Cebu City police on Carbon market incident: We’re only there to keep peace and order
CHR-7 to probe children used as human shields in Carbon clashes
The Child and Youth Welfare Code
/dbs
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
