Police won't lift it even during Dinagyang

The ordinance on curfew for minors (Regulation Ordinance 2006-020) will still be in effect even as Iloilo City celebrates the Dinagyang Festival.

But as a leeway, policemen might not hold the juveniles in the custody of authorities, said Senior Supt. Ruperto Floro, director of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).

“We would just warn them,” he added.

The ordinance approving the revised ordinance prohibits “minors to wander, saunter, or loiter in any places specified herein after 11:00 p.m. and before 4:00 a.m. and providing penalties thereof and for other purposes.”

Some provisions were made because the old ordinance come in conflict with Republic Act 9344 known as the Juvenile and Justice Welfare Act, specifically in dealing and handling the children at risk and children in conflict with the law.

Under the revised ordinance, there are some exemptions made like “when the minor is personally and actually accompanied by his or her parents or guardian who are in charge of his/her care in custody.”

Also exempted from the ordinance is if a “minor is on his/her way hone after attending educational program, social civic, religious and family affairs or gatherings such as but not limited to convocation, convention, seminar, scholastic and commencement activities, Christmas eve, New Year’s Eve, Holy Week, Yuletide Mass, weddings and birthdays and All Saints’ Day.”

Meanwhile, Floro said that they would be deploying around 4,600 forces for the Dinagyang Festival.

INCREASING THEFT AMONG MINORS

Meanwhile, there is again a rising trend in the number of theft cases in Iloilo City, not just because of the coming of the Dinagyang Festival but also of the growing numbers of children in conflict with the law.

Vendors from the Iloilo Central Market recently aired their complaints on the growing number of young thieves in the area.

Helen, a seafood and fish vendor said that they are already used to thieves but what is alarming is they are minors.

“Gapabata nga gapabata na gid ang mga kawatan diri,” she said.

Meanwhile, Supt. Kim Legada, chief of the Iloilo City Proper police station, said that they will conduct monitoring to confirm the report.

He also advised vendors that aside from coordinating with the members of the police, “they should always be alert in their business”.

“It is not only the responsibility of the police but also the vendors. Don’t give opportunities sa sini nga mga nagapangawat,” he said.

Based on the records of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Iloilo City Police Station 1, as of January 22, there are already seven CICL cases in the city, and five of which are theft.

For the year 2012, the WCPD recorded 227 CICL cases, 30 of which are already filed in court.

According to Senior Police Officer 1 Ruth Laudato, of the 227, almost half of it or 104 cases are theft.

Other cases are; physical injuries, 45; robbery, 18; alarm and scandal, 16 and the rest are for illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, Laudato said that WCPD are continuously conducting information dissemination drive on Republic Act 9344 or the "Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006," to lessen the number on CICL cases in the city.*