QC shuts down ‘tiangges’ for allowing entry of minors

CALOOCAN CITY, Dec. 24 (PIA) --The Quezon City government has shut down several establishments for allowing the entry of  minors which is in violation of an existing Ordinance prohibiting people below 18 years old in public places.

The QC Task Force Disiplina has also rescued  some 340 minors who were spotted in the City’s public places. 

“Seryoso ang lungsod sa pagpapatupad ng patakarang ito upang mapanatiling ligtas ang ating mga kabataan sa virus,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

“Isantabi muna natin ang pagiging matigas ang ulo dahil naririyan pa rin ang panganib na dulot ng pandemya, na posibleng lumala lalo ngayong maraming tao ang lumalabas dahil sa kapaskuhan ,” Belmonte added.

The mayor recently approved an ordinance banning minors in all public places, whether alone or accompanied by parent or guardian, without any justification, to stop the spread of  coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a report by action officer Rannie Ludovica of the Quezon City Task Force Disiplina, together with the Quezon City Police District's District Mobile Force Battalion have 'rescued' the 340 minors were brought to Centris Command post for the profiling of their parents while some were turned over to their respective barangays for counseling of Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC).

The Task Force also issued Ordinance Violation Receipts (OVR) to parents or guardians of rescued minors, as mandated by Ordinance No. SP-2985, S-2020, or the “Quezon City Special Protection of Children against COVID-19.”

"Ipinapaliwanag namin sa kanila na dahil malakas ang bata, maaaring wala silang symptoms pero carrier sila ng sakit. Kapag lumabas sila at pumunta in public places, puwede na sila maging superspreader at ito ang iniiwasan nating mangyari," Ludovica said.

He added that parents must be aware of their children’s whereabouts at all time and not use them as excuse to escape punishment.

“We are closely monitoring malls and tiangges na bukas ngayong holiday dahil patok itong puntahan ng mga kabataan,” said Ludovica.

The Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD), for its part, ordered the temporary closure of several tiangges in Robinsons Novaliches for accepting minors.

THe QC Government  encouraged its citizens to report minors and parents violating the ordinance through the complaint-reporting platform, QCitizen Watch on the Official QC website https://ift.tt/2BBp8JQ. (QC PAISD/PIA-NCR)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)