Duterte toughen anti-mendicancy body

MAYOR Rodrigo Duterte strengthened the city's task force against mendicancy with Executive Order 7 that reorganizes the composition and functions of the Davao City Anti-Mendicancy Task Force.

Duterte noted that "there is a need to re-organize the Anti-Mendicancy Task Force to address all concerns pertaining to social problem and to provide appropriate services to enable mendicants to meet basic needs and develop self-reliance."

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The executive order states mendicancy "has continued to become a social problem in Davao City and in other urban areas in the country."

"Mendicancy breeds crime, creates traffic hazards, endangers health, among others," the order said.

The order is grounded on Presidential Decree (PD) 1563, which defines a mendicant as any person who has no visible and legal means of support, or lawful employment and who is physically able to work but neglects to apply himself to some lawful calling and instead uses begging as a means of living.

Presidential Decree 1563

Presidential Decree 1563 or the Mendicancy Law of 1978 applies to all mendicants, and exploited infants or children who are eight years old and below.

Minors found begging are covered by PD 603 of the Child and Youth Welfare Code. Parents of exploited infants and children are also criminally liable under Article 59 and 60 of PD 603.

Section 4 of PD 1563 state "Apprehension Of And Services For Persons Found Begging' state: Any infants or child 8 years old and below who is found begging or is being utilized by a mendicant for purposes of begging shall be apprehended as a neglected child under Article 141 of PD 603 and shall be committed to the custody and care of the Department of Social Services and Development or to any duly licensed child placement agency or individual."

Any minor over nine years of age under 15 found begging or is being utilized for purposes of begging and who acted without discernment shall be apprehended as a neglected child under Article 141 of Presidential Decree 603 and shall be committed to the custody and care of the Department of Social Services and Development or to any duly licensed placement agency or individual, PD 1563 states.

PD 1563 further states that any person not otherwise covered in the preceding paragraph of this Section who is found begging and who is physically or mentally incapable of gainful occupation shall be provided the integrated package of services by the Department of Social Services and Development, the Welfare units of local governments and other cooperating agencies.

Task force s

The city's Anti-Mendicancy Task Force shall be composed of the city mayor as its chair, City Council on Social Services as the vice-chair, City Social Services and Development Office as the secretariat.

Its members will be representatives from: the Department of Internal and Local Governance City Office, Women & Children Protection Desk-DCPO, barangay Community and Cultural Affairs Commission, Philippine Information Agency, City Information Office, Davao Medical Center-Psychiatry Department, United Church of Christ in the Philippines-Social Concerns, San Pedro College, Rotary Club of Downtown Davao.

Also members are Caritas Davao Foundation-Social Action Ministry, Department of Education, Jesus Christ Children's Joy Foundation, Association of Differently Abled Persons, Office for Senior Citizens Affairs, Association for Differently Abled Persons, Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, Association of Barangay Camptain chair, Quick Response Team for Children Center, Davao School and Rehabilitation Center for the Visually Impaired, Traffic Management Center, and the City Health Office.

They will have the following functions:

* plan, implement and monitor yearly work programs in pursuance to the objectives of the law;
* be responsible for the implementation of the integrated network of appropriate services to mendicants;
* draw a list of available and required services which can be provided to mendicants;
* mobilize the different local agencies and NGOs to identify activities within their program which can be undertaken for the mendicants;
* maintain a regular update on a quarterly basis a registry of mendicants;
* sustain city-wide Anti-mendicancy education and information drive in collaboration with government organizations and private sector to create awareness on the mendicancy program. The barangay assembled shall likewise be utilized as medium for community information;
* conduct regular rounding up of mendicants and arrest exploiters/syndicate leaders if any;
* provide appropriate medical, dental, and health services to apprehended mendicants; and
* perform such other functions and discharge such other duties and responsibilities as maybe necessary or incidental to the implementation of this order. (JCZ)