Friday, September 23, 2005 (Philippines)

Wards at the Operation Second Chance Center in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City. Inset: RTC Judge Olegario Sarmiento, managing director of the center, who looked into the children’s complaint and found them to be true.(Sun.star file) Instead of transferring the two Operation Second Chance Center social workers, as recommended by a judge, Cebu City Mayor Tomas fired them. He also vowed to suspend for six months the allowance of some jail guards for the alleged maltreatment of some wards. The mayor said he might reconsider his decision, but only if the social workers and the center’s management board come up with something new in their review of the case. [full story]