Parents, guardians to pay fine or undergo community service for erring minors in Cebu City

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Parents or guardians of erring minors rescued in Cebu City for violating health protocols will have to pay a fine or undergo community service on behalf of their children.

Since they still have recorded many minors who violated protocols, Cebu City cops appealed to parents or guardians to look after their children as they will now have to shoulder the violations of the kids by paying a fine or attending  community service, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office.

Parilla said that if the police rescue minors in their respective areas of jurisdiction, these will be reported to the barangay, and the barangay staff will call or locate the guardians or parents of these minors. If they could not pay the fine of P1,000, they will be made to undergo community service. On how many hours they need to take, he said this is up to the concerned barangay.

Last Sunday, August 15, police recorded 248 violators, 228 were adults while 20 were minors. Most of their violations were failure to comply with curfew hours.

Parilla said that they are expecting an increase in violators in the next few days as their deployment of personnel was already placed in all police stations and their operations are now in ‘full blast’.

READ: 700 cops, military men to be deployed on Cebu City streets starting Monday

Parilla recently said  they are looking to zero in on internet cafes as this is where they usually rescue majority of the minors violating the curfew.

In Executive Order 137 of the city government, internet cafes are among the establishments that are not allowed to operate.

READ: Cebu City police focus on net cafes amid increase of rescued minors

Parilla said chiefs of police in 11 police stations in Cebu City are already coordinating with the barangay captains as to their initiative in implementing guidelines as the city remains under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until August 31, 2021.

/bmjo