NEWS BRIEFS

MOTHER ON BELLA

FEARING that authorities might maul or torture her daughter, the mother of Ruby Bella Santos said she would want her daughter to stay away from law enforcement authorities.

“Kon akoy pabut-on, dili siya mo-surrender, kay kon mapriso siya, bun-ogon lang siya (If I were to decide, I would advise her not to surrender. If she will be imprisoned, she will just be mauled),” said Santos’ mother Perla Heridiano.

However, if Santos would surrender, her mother said she would want local media to be present to be sure that Santos wouldn’t be harmed by authorities.

“Bisan sa salida sa sine o sa tinuod nga kinabuhi, naa man gyud nang bun-ogon (Mauling someone who gets arrested is possible even in movies or in real-life scenarios),” Heridiano said.

Heridiano was also saddened with the fate of her daughter.

“Sa una mora na siya og reyna. Karon bati kaayo ang iyang kinabuhi; bati kaayo (Before, my daughter lived like a queen. Now, her life turned worse),” Heridiano said.

Santos and her British partner Ian Charles Griffiths are facing charges of kidnapping with homicide in court in relation to the kidnap-slay of 6-year-old Ellah Joy Pique last Feb. 8. A warrant of arrest has been issued against them.

Both of them, however, remain at large with Griffiths still out of the country while Santos’ whereabouts are still unknown. /Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol

CURFEW ON MINORS

TWO out of the 27 barangays in Mandaue City have been strictly implementing the curfew on minors starting last week.

Mayor Jonas Cortes said he lauded Ibabao-Estancia barangay captain Jun del Mar and Subangdaku barangay captain Ernie Manatad for their efforts to implement the curfew ordinance.

“Makaayo gyud ang pag-implementar ana kay ang mga bata malikay sa mga dautang binuhatan gikan sa pagpundok-pundok sama anang gang, mas productive pa sila kung naa sila sa balay (Implementing it is good because it would prevent the minors from committing crimes related to gangs and they can also be more productive when they stay in their homes),” said Cortes.

The ordinance was made after minors were involved in a series of fraternity and gang wars and petty crimes in the city.

In barangay Ibabao-Estancia when the curfew starts at 11 p.m., barangay councilor Renato Yuson will be seen heading a team of barangay tanods and a policeman patrolling the barangay on board a barangay vehicle.

Yuson and his tanods make sure that no minors are seen loitering on the streets of the barangay.

Yuson said this was a way of effectively curtailing criminality done by minors.  Correspondent Norman Mendoza