Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes (PIO PHOTO)
Local chief executives and police chiefs of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Cebu cities have promised not to round up street children to hide them from the delegates of the high-level APEC meetings later this month.
“We will face the problem. We will not hide it for it’s not the right thing to do,” said Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday.
“It does not serve the essence of our faith — to help the needy, which we learned from the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. We will find ways to feed them through our CSWD (City Social Welfare and Development),” he added.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Senior Supt. Armando Radoc, acting city police director, said he has not received any directive from Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza to keep the street children away from the eyes of APEC visitors.
“These minors will not be persecuted, will not be arrested. We coordinated with the local government unit through the CSWD, through the barangay then called the attention of the parents of these minors,” he said.
“If there is none, then they will be turned over to the CSWD so that these minors will not be roaming around,” Radoc added.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also did not order the police to hide the street children, said Supt. Romeo Santander, Cebu City Police Office Intelligence Branch chief.
“We will be careful this time. The LGU is directing the DSWS and di mi magpataka but eventually on our part, we will be dealing with the parents (in coordination) with our Women (and Children’s Desk),” he said.
Over 3,000 high-level officials are expected to attend the Third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings from Aug. 22 to Sept. 6.
Cebu will also host two ministerial meetings, Structural Reforms and Finance, in September while the ministerial meetings on transport and energy will be held in October.
Meanwhile, Radoc said they will employ a “softer approach” in dealing with adult beggars in Lapu-Lapu City.
The Cebu City Police, for its part, will coordinate with the barangays in keeping mendicants away from the streets, Santander said.
APEC groups 21 economies. The meetings this year will culminate with the Leaders’ Summit in Metro Manila in November.