Jail time pushed for street dwellers in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines —  The police in Cebu City want street dwellers imprisoned, especially those who keep returning to the streets and actually have homes.

Police Col. Wilbert Parilla, deputy for operations of the Cebu City Police Office, said they have observed that several of those they have already rescued return to the streets and were found to be owning houses.

Parilla said it is about time to put more teeth on the city’s anti-mendicancy ordinance. The existing ordinance only fines or requires community service from violators.

“The same faces (rescued) and as we have recommended to City Hall, mu-impose na gyud dapat ta unta og penalties because during and every time mag-conduct ta og rescue sa mga (street) dwellers, atong mapamatod-an nga naa silay mga balay," Parilla said.

(We have rescued the same people, the same faces, and as we have recommended to City Hall, we should be imposing penalties because we have proven in those times we rescued the street dwellers that they actually have houses.)

The police also found that several of those rescued chose to live in the streets so they can beg for alms.

“That's why gyud we have recommended during sa session with the councilors and PROBE (Prevention, restoration, order, beautification, and enhancement) Team nga naa na tay penalty. Para dili sad mag-abusar atong mga kaigsuonan nga naa gihapon sa kadalanan manghigda," Parilla said.

(That’s why we have recommended during the session with councilors and PROBE that we should have penalties so that these people sleeping in the streets will not abuse.)

Rescue operations are ongoing, Parilla said, especially that more people will be in the streets early with the start of the dawn Masses for Misa de Gallo tomorrow, December 16.

He explained that keeping dwellers from the streets is also meant to protect them from the dangers of being outside.

CCPO and the city government have rescued a total of 200 mendicants from October 16 to October 20, 2020 alone. They found later that five of the 200 are locally stranded individuals (LSI) while the rest actually have homes in the city. — JMO (FREEMAN)