Duterte pushes curfew for minors

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Duterte is hoping the Supreme Court will allow the implementation of a curfew for minors to keep the youth off the streets late at night until the wee hours of the morning.

“The curfew for minors is not really a criminal proceeding as we have insisted,” Duterte said upon arrival at the Davao International Airport Thursday night from a state visit to Japan.

“It is a mechanism where we take the child out of the streets to protect him from predators, from being utilized as seller of shabu, from being raped. These are the problems,” he explained.

In July, the high tribunal issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the curfew for minors to be implemented from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Manila, Quezon City and Navotas.

The SC issued the TRO to the three cities after a youth group said the curfew is contrary to Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

Duterte said he just wants to keep the youth safe and for parents to equally be responsible for minors caught violating the curfew.

He recounted a case when authorities returned a minor sleeping under a car to his mother. 

“That night, I had the parents arrested. But if not for the intervention of Gabriela (women’s party), hindi ko talaga bibitawan (I will really not release them). There was an abandonment of minor, that’s the case,” he said.

“You are being arrested according to Duterte because you abandoned your children. Arrest them, bring them to jail. Ganun lang iyan (it’s as easy as that),” he added.

The President said he hopes that the Supreme Court will see the wisdom of implementing the curfew for minors, which he said would be for the betterment of the society.

“Ganito yan eh. Gusto ba natin ng bayan na matino? Mga anak ninyo maligaya, nakakapag-aral, nakakalabas na hindi sinasaksak, nakakalabas ng walang holdup. Gusto ninyo ng bayan na ‘yan? O pwes, ibigay ko ‘yan sa inyo. (It’s like this. Do we want a peaceful country? Your children are happy, they can go to school, they can go out without the risk of being stabbed and being victims of hold up. Do you want a country like that? Fine, I will give it to you),” he added.