Proliferation of rugby boys 'alarming'

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) admits that the proliferation of minors sniffing rugby solvents on the streets is “alarming” and that this is a problem in the community that is not easy to eliminate.

“O alarming, makaingon gyud ka kay nagkadaghan sila. Naa’y time sad nga mawagtang kung naa ta mag-operate,” said Lea Japson, DSWS chairperson and former city councilor.

Japson also admitted that it’s not easy to eliminate this problem because the minors lack proper guidance at home, adding that it’s necessary to involve parents in solving this issue.

“Lisod kaayo uy, ang problema ana kay ang mga mama man… Mobalik bitaw, kita ra ang bantayan. Ang importante ang mga mama, maong amoa silang iapil,” she said.

Japson believes that it is the main responsibility of the parents to educate their children against sniffing solvents such as rugby.

DSWS has been holding seminars with the parents for them to be aware of their roles in their children’s welfare.

“Diversion raman atong gibuhat ana as of now, diversion sa mga bata, together with Philippine National Police (PNP) man gihapon na. Naa’y program, i-orient sila, i-apil ang mga mama sa bata, ang mga mama man gud ang kinahanglan, dili ang bata ra,” Japson further said.

Japson has not yet released any specific data on how many minors sniffing rugby on the streets have been rescued by DSWS.

For its part, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) admits that children sniffing solvent is a security and safety issue as they may be taken advantage of by criminal groups and to be used for theft and robbery.

Senior Superintendent Joel Doria, CCPO director, said that he is apprehensive about the enforcement of law against these children, since police are barred from detaining children in conflict with the law.

Doria expressed that in most cases where minors have been rescued they go back to their old ways because there’s no space for them in assigned shelters.

“Yung mga street children natin continuous ang operation natin pero ang nagiging problema natin, saan natin sila ilalagay? When we coordinate to the concerned agencies tapos ang sasabihin nila sa atin, wala silang available personnel wala silang paglalagyan,” Doria said.

In cases like these, children become recidivists, or those with recurring record of being rescued and seen once again in the streets, due to lack of guidance from parents or a unit to oversee the aftercare.

Doria urged for coordination and cooperation from concerned agencies in the local government units in order to address the problem.

“So definitely we will be relying to the concerned agencies na tulungan yan (solvent-sniffing children). Continuous ang operations natin pero limitado ang forces ng police kasi hindi yan kakayanin na tayo lang mag o-operate,” Doria said.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas Director Jose Mario Espino and local government officials of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, announced the creation of discipline zones scheduled to take effect next month.

During an inter-agency meeting with all the concerned parties, it was discussed that as part of a move towards a more livable city environment, discipline zones in each of the cities will be established.

Mendicant vendors, illegal parking, and street dwellers will be disallowed in these discipline zones and walls with graffiti will be repainted.

Parties are eyeing the whole stretch of Osmeña Boulevard, and the Apas-Lahug intersection as the discipline zones in Cebu City, based on the recommendations of the chiefs of police stations in the city.

Espino said that city police directors are tasked to conduct studies on manning and maintaining these discipline zones. (FREEMAN)