PNP chief bats for nationwide minors’ curfew

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa FILE PHOTO

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is all for the nationwide imposition of a curfew for children to prevent syndicates from using minors in committing crimes.

At a press conference on Monday in Camp Crame, Dela Rosa said the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, a law authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan, has long been “the source of frustration for the PNP.”

Dela Rosa cited the case of an arrested Davao City drug lord who used children hooked on online computer games to casually distribute narcotics.

The drug lord, he said, stayed inside internet shops and watched for children who have apparently ran out of cash to play more video games.

“He then offers P1,000 to the minor to deliver cake to a friend he is wooing. It turns out there is ‘shabu’ (crystal meth) inside that cake. He turned children into drug couriers,” he said.

He said that robbery gangs also use children to easily get inside their target houses.

Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, of the Bagong Henerasyon party-list, has filed a bill to impose a nationwide curfew on minors.

Dy’s bill imposes a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew on persons below 18 years old, saying minors were “vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, drug addiction, criminals as well as also being at risk of committing criminal offenses themselves.”