78 mendicants rescued from Cebu City streets

Personnel of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk rescue mendicants in Cebu City on Saturday, Oct. 22. | Parian PS

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 78 mendicants were rescued from different streets in Cebu City on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

This is in line with the launching of Oplan Sagip Bata, a program of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), which aimed to address complaints they received about presence of mendicants, such as members of the Badjao community, who were begging for alms to the public.

The program is headed by Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, chief of the CCPO’s Investigation and Detective Management Unit (IDMU), and she is assisted by Police Lieutenant Aiza Nacario, chief of the CCPO’s Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD.)

The rescue was done in coordination with other concerned agencies.

LOOK: Mendicants rescued from Cebu City streets

Of these 78 individuals, 48 were minors and they were from around 21 families, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for administration of CCPO.

After rescuing these individuals, Parilla said these were brought to the Taboan Public Market, where a holding facility was located.

After that, Parilla said that the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services would take charge of addressing their needs.

Admitting that some members of the Badjao community, particularly minors from Barangay Mambaling were allegedly used as couriers in illegal drug activities, Parilla said that they continued to monitor this as well.

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