MANILA, Philippines – At least 58 minors were rounded up in Mandaluyong City Monday night for violating the city’s curfew and an ordinance known as the Code of Parental Responsibility, which holds parents liable for their children’s offenses.
Police officers, accompanied by local officials, picked up “rugby boys,” children caught using fumes from model airplane glue to get high; beggars and vagrants who were roaming the streets.
Senior Superintendent Joaquin Alva, Mandaluyong police chief, said the city government has imposed a curfew for minors from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to enforce a curfew on minors all over the country to prevent them from being victimized by criminals.
Jimmy Isidro, the city’s public information officer (PIO), said long before Duterte bared his curfew plan, the city council passed Ordinance 538 S-2014, otherwise known as the Code of Parental Responsibility.
He said a no-contest provision was made available for parents, wherein they can pay a fine or render community service for the first three times they violate the ordinance.
Under the ordinance, the penalties are a P1,000 fine or eight hours of community service for the first offense; P3,000 fine or 16 hours of community service for the second offense and P5,000 fine or 24 hours of community service for the third offense.
The parents would be in danger of being put in jail after the third offense, Isidro said.
Since all 58 minors were first offenders, they were reprimanded and warned that repeating the offense would earn them of an ordinance violation receipt and their parents would pay the corresponding fine, said Alva.
According to Alva, the minors were later turned over to their parents or guardians.