THE Calasiao Police Station has taken steps to strictly enforce the town’s ordinance imposing curfew hours for minors in the municipality.

According to SPO4 Rolando Manzon, Municipal Executive Senior Police Officer, the station has began enforcing the ordinance by disseminating the information to the barangays initially.

PO3 Leo Jutie said representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), barangay captains and the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) have been joining the police patrol every night simply looking out for minors violating the curfew ordinance.

According to Manzon, Ordinance No. 6 or the ordinance imposing curfew to minors adopted in 2007 stipulates that no person aged 18 and below shall roam around public places from 11 pm to 4am.

There was an attempt to enforce it in 2012-2013 but it had to be suspended because the lack or absence of awareness about the ordinance that created a lot of misunderstanding in the communities.

“Nung 2012 to 2013, talagang ini-implement yan. Lahat ng mga minors diyan sa plaza, sa mga business centers, sa public places na pagala-gala, eh hinuhuli. Kaya lang, nag lie low ulit siya (curfew) nung 2014 at 2015 ” Manzon added.

Johanna Montoya, Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (DILG-MLGOO), said the reason why the implementation of the ordinance was not successful for the first few years was because only few residents know that this exists.

However, Montoya also said, “Most likely ngayon oo, mai-implement na nang tuloy-tuloy.”

According to section 5 of the ordinance, minors who violated the curfew ordinance are brought to the police headquarters and are given warning for first offense.

After a minor’s second offense, his parents will be called, and will be given community service. “Kapag matigas talaga ang ulo nila (minors) at hindi nag-tino, ikukulong namin ang parents,” Manzon added.

Glenda Almonte, a resident of Calasiao and a mother of five, said she supports the enforcement that calls for parents to be penalized, if their children are caught the second time “para ma-realize ng anak ko ang kahirapan ko in case ikulong nila ako.”

Montoya said the full implementation of curfew will help secure the minors. “Maiiwasan ang krimen at masisigurado ang kaayusan at katahimikan ng bayan,” she added. (Allison Langit, OJT)

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