From over 2,000 operations conducted recently, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has rescued a total of 1,117 youths.
Of the rescued, 817 are males and 300 are females.
Police Major Gillian Rose Birondo, chief of the Women and Children Protection Desk of DCPO, said DCPO also have turned over 501 children to their parents, 164 to guardians, 336 turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), and 116 to barangays.
“Generally safe sila apan ato silang pahimangnoan nga dili sila mag-involve sa mga dautan nga binuhatan sama sa pagpanigarilyo, pahimangnoan nato na dili sila mag-involve sa droga kay sa tanan mga krimen ang mahitabo intoxicated siya o naka drugs siya. Mao na pinaka dako na problema,” Birondo said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).
Her office, which caters to abused children, conducts consultative meetings with the 25 barangays that have cases involving children.
The DCPO has Oplan Sagop Kabataan program, which is the integration of all the guidelines and procedures on the rescue of minors for unified law enforcement in addressing issues of children in conflict with the law (CICL) and children at risk (CAR), and out of school youths that are being used to commit crimes.
Under this is the Kean Gabriel Hotline, which was the brainchild of Mayor Sara Duterte and was named after the 3-year-old boy who died at the hands of his stepfather.
Since its inception in 2018, the number of child abuse complaints received by the Kean Gabriel hotline has significantly gone down over.
“Naa pud ta’y Oplan Sagop Kabataan nga kauban nato ang Kean Gabriel Hotline para i-rescue ang mga kabataan at child at risk nga naa sa kalsada ug kinahanglan tabangan ug proteksyunan,” Birondo said.
Coinciding the celebration of the 33rd Universal Children’s Day on November 7, 2022, DCPO conducted a gift giving to the Indigenous People (IP) children in Marilog District and other children’s facilities in Davao City.
Police Major Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson DCPO, also said DCPO will also bring back its advocacy and activities in schools as full-blast face-to-face has resumed.
