LGU execs told to enforce curfew for minors

MANILA, Philippines—The National Capital Region Police Office urged local government units to strictly enforce the ordinance on curfew hours for minors amid the recent cases of missing children.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas, NCRPO spokesperson, also called on parents to be more watchful of their children, especially those between 13 years old and 17 years old.

“We believe that intensifying the implementation of the curfew will help us prevent the cases of disappearances of children,” Molitas said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.

She said there are already existing city ordinances in different parts of the Metro Manila on curfew for individuals below 18 year old from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

As to fears that children are being kidnapped by syndicates for organ harvesting, Molitas said they have asked doctors and were told that children aged from three to four years old “are not viable for organ transplant.”

Earlier Thursday, John Gabriel Calimag was reunited with his parents four days after he went missing in Quezon City.

The family who found and took care of John Gabriel said they decided to temporarily keep the child due to fears that the child might be victimized by human traffickers.

Since January 2012 until present, Molitas said NCRPO has recorded 36 cases of missing children aged 17 years old below, but said that all the missing persons have been found and were now with their legal guardians.