The number of children in conflict with the law (CICL) has been reduced in the third quarter of this year due to the interventions done by Davao City Police Office and its partners.
In the weekly AFP-PNP Southern Mindanao Press Corps press forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Sr. Insp. Lilibeth Remolar, chief of DCPO- Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD), on Wednesday, told reporters that the CICL in the period ending September this year has been reduced to only 29 youth offenders.
Remolar said that in the first quarter there were 106 CICL recorded while in the second quarter there were 65 minor offenders
“I am proud to say it is decreasing compared to previous years and past quarters,” Remolar said.
Remolar added that this decrease is due to Oplan Kalinaw which puts the male and female police officers in the community and conduct lectures with the coordination of the Barangay Council and the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO).
“The weekly Oplan Kalinaw allows the police officers to visit the community and interact with the kids,” she added.
She said that the Sagop Kabataan, a daily round-up and rescue of minors, also helped in decreasing the number of CICL.
She said that every police station in the city is tasked to do this and there is a mobile patrol and personnel assigned to this task.
“If they see minors at night they advise these minors to go home. This mall way greatly helps to decrease the cases involving CICL,” she said.
In the recorded cases, she said that theft and physical injury are the least cases involving CICLs.
“Some of the physical injury cases involving CICL are conflicts with neighbors while some are involvements with gangs, though the CICL would not admit that they are involved with gangs once they are rescued by police officers, it is the community and barangays that reveals in our investigation that this CICL is involved in it,” she added.
She said the decrease is not only attributed to the police efforts but also the stakeholders and government partners who are concerned with the welfare of the children.
The adopt a school program of DCPO and CSSDO helps CICL to attain education.
She said that the Talomo Police Station’s CICL who are under the program are enrolled in Emar Human and Environment College and CICL coming from Sta. Ana Police Station and San Pedro Police Station conducted their classes in DCPO every weekend.
