Additional P5M budget eyed for Operation Second Chance

Councilor Margot Osmeña, chief proponent of Operation Second Chance, says the continued influx of minor offenders in the facility is draining the city’s resources.

The fate of Operation Second Chance, where minor offenders are detained, hangs in the balance.

With plans of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology  (BJMP) to pull out their police personnel, the Cebu city government has to prepare to run the center completely on its  own.

Ester Concha, head of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), said the city has to  allocate an additional P5 million budget next year to cover the cost of hiring casuals and blue guards to replace BJMP personnel.

To cope with an overflow of child offenders,   no  more minors outside of  Cebu City will be accepted at the center  in barangay Kalunasan if BJMP guards are withdrawn.

About 60 percent of the center’s 200 occupants aged 15 to 18 years old are from Consolacion town and Danao City in northern Cebu and Toledo City in the south.

“We are supporting them (non-city youths.)  We are not just feeding them but we also provide security escorts during the hearing of their cases.  Hopefully the province (of Cebu) will have its  own (facility),” said Councilor Margot Osmeña.  She said the extra accommodation

’is draining the city” but that the city can’t deny access to non-city residents when a court order  refers the youth offenders to OSC.

Concha presented to the Cebu City Council last week her P12.5 million budget request for the  youth center.

Cebu City would have to hire an executive director, administrative officer  and other casual staffers, she said.

The budget request is P5 million more than this year’s budget.

The city’s allocation already covers administration costs,  the minors ‘food budget of P50 per day and another P200,000 for their rice subsidy.

Chief Supt. Diony Mamaril wrote Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama last August 11 to announce plans to withdraw all their personnel from the OSC because it allegedly violates provisions of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

“The law doesn’t allow the BJMP to provide subsistence allowance to Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and other resources, specifically the operation and administrative support like custody, security, emergency plans, movement and transfer of CICLs,” Mamaril’s letter stated.

Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, head of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, already wrote Mamaril to seek  reconsideration, but has received no reply  so far.

The letter did not specify when the pullout of BJMP guards would happen.

Osmeña, who was instrumental in setting up  Operation Seccond CHance and crafting  its operations manual, said the BJMP pullout was something that they already anticipated.

BJMP personnel are there to secure the facility and escort minors to attend  court hearings.