Noelle Sophie U.

Baroman X- Tau September 5, 2019

Manila to re-implement curfew for minors

Author: Rosette Adel Date: September 2, 2019
Source: Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Manila would strictly implement

curfew hours for minors starting Monday evening.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso signed the memorandum implementing City
Ordinance No. 8547 or the ordinance establishing protection and discipline hours for
children and wards in the Philippine capital on Monday.

This was a day after the mayor himself caught around 22 “batang hamog” or street
children getting drunk and loitering during the wee hours of the night.

He said these children were already rescued weeks ago but went back to the street.

“We have to put order in the streets of Manila,” Moreno said in an interview.

“Effective today, tonight, agad agad (immediately),” he added.

Under the memorandum, individuals who are below 18 years old are prohibited from
loitering, wandering or standing by in public areas within Manila from 10 p.m. to 4
a.m.

The memorandum cited that “police reports and statistics showed that breach of peace
and order of the city at this time are caused by minors roaming around the city.”

In view of this, all village chiefs were ordered to strictly implement City Ordinance
No. 8547 in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Members of the Manila Police
District were likewise asked to follow the order.

Meanwhile, Moreno directed the Department of Social Welfare of Manila to

coordinate with the village chiefs to ensure the effective implementation of the city
ordinance.

All of them were asked to submit weekly reports every Monday.

City Ordinance No. 8547, enacted on June 28, 2018 by former Mayor Joseph Estrada,
is the lenient version of the previous curfew law, Ordinance No. 8046.

In August 2017, the Supreme Court nullified Manila’s Ordinance No. 8046, which
contains provisions to reprimand, fine and imprison minors.

The ordinance was passed in 2002 when Lito Atienza was mayor of the Philippine
capital. It was ruled “unconstitutional” because the high court said it runs counter to
Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Law.

Estrada’s administration then drafted a new law focusing on penalty for parents.

“The City Council further noted that the policy of the City of Manila to promote the
physical and moral well-being of children is not achieved, if not frustrated by reason
or non-cooperation and non-liability of the parents and/or guardian over the minor’s
action,” the memorandum read.

Under Ordinance No. 8547, parents of minors aged 15 to 17 years old would be fined
P2,000 and may face one-month imprisonment.

Parents of minors aged 13 to 14 years old would have a penalty of P3,000 and three
months imprisonment while parents of children aged 12 and below would face six
months imprisonment and shall pay P5,000 fine.

Moreno said barangay officials who would not follow the city ordinance might also
face administrative complaints.

“It's really hard for me to do these things, we have to care for these children as a
government. Not only because we are required by law, but morally as a parent, we
have to care for these minors,” the mayor said.
Analysis:

For me, I agree to this curfew’s re-implementation. Teenagers might say “Oh
it’s another adult saying teens should have curfews” but actually I’m also a teenager.
There are many words or phrases that we teens hate hearing from their parents; one of
these words is “curfew.” Many teens see the adolescent years as a time to break away
from their family and parents, and experience more freedom in certain aspects of their
lives. Having a curfew seems unfair and unreasonable, but what many teens fail to
realize is that curfews are actually beneficial to their overall well-being.
One of my reasons why I say teens should have curfews is these curfews are
not only good for keeping youngsters out of harm but they are also helpful in reviving
long forgotten family lives by keeping them home. Many of the bad things that have
befallen the young are almost always the result of a breakdown in family closeness
and relations. When families no longer care where some of its members are,
especially at night, most often these members end up on the wrong side of life.

Worse, when people, especially the young, end up on the wrong side of life,
they not only ruin their own lives and those of their families, more often than not they
also ruin the lives of others. Keeping the young at home during their developmental
years, or years when they are most vulnerable to outside influences and hostile
environments, will go a long way in shaping their appreciation of what is good in their
own lives. It is not that all young people who are out at night are bad people or are up
to no good. Many may be out innocently or are out for a legitimate reason. But for
whatever reason, the world has changed into something that is more dangerous for
everyone, whether young and old. And since it is the young that will have to take care
of the world in the future, it is best to give them the chance to do so by keeping them
safe at home.

As a whole, the re-implementation of curfew in Manila is a great decision for

the Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso. In this way, everyone could possibly
achieve peace. Having a curfew helps us a lot. The youth will become more
responsible of their actions. Their parents will have a peace of mind every night
because they know that their children are at the house and not into somewhere. Also,
it minimizes the workload of police night patrols in the wee hours of the morning or
the graveyard shift. On the part of the young, they should not take curfews as an
attempt by the world to shackle them. While curfews are indeed a challenge that the
youth needs to deal with, it is a challenge that can only make them better persons.
Instead of looking at curfews as an invasion or restriction of rights, it should be
regarded as a means to keep them safe while practicing them with discipline for life's
greater hurdles when they become adults.
 

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