122 delegates held in Sulop, Davao del Sur

A TOTAL of 122 individuals were held by the police Friday, November 30, in Sulop town, Davao del Sur due to the suspicious number of minors onboard their vehicles.

Police Chief Inspector Jayson Baria, Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao spokesperson, said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao Friday that the authorities at the checkpoint of Kilometer 80, National Road of Sulop, Davao del Sur noticed that there were a lot of minors onboard the five vehicles of the delegates from the Church of Christ Congregation Soccsksargen, led by pastor Rody Candido.

The delegates were on their way to New Bataan, Compostela Valley to attend the National Youth Convention yesterday.

The passengers of the vehicles were 53 minors aged 14 to 17 years old, 55 adults, and 14 church leaders.

Police Superintendent Alan Manibog, Davao del Sur Police provincial director, said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao that the group does not have parent’s consent document and that they only asked permission from the parents through verbal way.

Baria added that the authorities gave an option to the delegates that the minors will either be fetched by their parents in Sulop or they will be escorted back to General Santos City by the Sulop Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWD).

He said the reason they were held was because authorities were taking caution after the heightened security on rallies in Davao City.

“Nag iingat lang po tayo nang possible at napaunawaan naman natin sa kanila ang situation natin sa Davao Region at they cooperated naman, (We are just careful as possible and we let them understand the situation in Davao Region and they cooperated),” Baria said.

Manibog added that there will be no cases filed against the passengers.

As of 2:05 p.m. Friday, Manibog said the delegates already have returned to General Santos City.