As the Kean Gabriel Hotline marks its ninth year of operations, its management is once again urging the public to take the service seriously and refrain from making prank or test calls that could delay responses to real child abuse cases.
Since its establishment in 2016, the Kean Gabriel Hotline, which was named after a young abuse victim, has operated 24/7 without holidays or weekends, serving as the city’s emergency response line for cases involving child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
According to Jinky Roncal, manager of the Kean Gabriel Center, the hotline continues to receive around 100 calls a day, but only four to five of those are legitimate reports that require validation and possible rescue.
“In a day mudagan gihapon mi ug more or less 100 calls, however, mostly are prank calls while some ipa ring lang ang phone seguro gina-try nila kung existing ba gyud siya, naa ba gyud mutubag ug ang uban mangayo ug advises. Ang mga legit calls for validation and possible rescue mga four or five in a week ang amoang ma-cater,” Roncal said over Madayaw Davao.
Roncal emphasized that the hotline operates with a multi-disciplinary team composed of social workers, call takers, and in-house PNP personnel detailed to handle cases promptly and professionally.
Roncal also shared that the city continues to raise public awareness through regular information drives — including tarpaulins, flyers, and partnerships with barangays and the PNP Mobile Patrol Group, which now displays Kean Gabriel Hotline materials on patrol cars.
The hotline’s main number, 0908-818-4444, is supplemented by an alternate line to ensure more calls can be accommodated and answered without delay.
Roncal reiterated her appeal to Dabawenyos to use the hotline responsibly.
“Hangyuon namo ang tanan nga kung joke lang or i-try lang ninyo palihog lang dili nato idugay ang pagtawag kay every seconds count kay kinabuhi ang atoang gina-deal so kung inyuhang sige’g binuangan hotline, ginatubag pud namo and then what if naay mga legit calls na kailangan namo ma respondehan. Hangyo namo sa katawhan nga dili ta magbinuang sa hotline,” she said.
Kean Gabriel was a child who died from abuse, and his case prompted former Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to launch the Kean Gabriel Hotline, an anonymous reporting system for child abuse.
The hotline is intended to allow the public to report abuse and other issues within communities to help prevent such tragedies and ensure children’s safety.
