11 minors break out of juvenile center

BREAKOUT. On Friday night, Oct. 4, 2019, the security guard manning this gate was confronted by 30 children in conflict with the law who wanted to escape from the facility. He managed to stop 10 from leaving, but 20 successfully made it out. (SunStar Photo/Allan Cuizon)
BREAKOUT. On Friday night, Oct. 4, 2019, the security guard manning this gate was confronted by 30 children in conflict with the law who wanted to escape from the facility. He managed to stop 10 from leaving, but 20 successfully made it out. (SunStar Photo/Allan Cuizon)

ELEVEN children in conflict with the law (CICL) escaped from the Operation Second Chance Center in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City on Friday night, Oct. 4, 2019.

The incident happened around 6:30 p.m.

As of press time, three were brought back to the facility run by the Cebu City Government by their parents.

According to City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the peace and order committee, the facility’s residents were about to have dinner inside when 30 CICL suddenly rushed outside.

They managed to get out of the first gate and arrived at the main gate where one security guard stood before them and their freedom.

The guard managed to keep 10 CICL from leaving, but that meant 20 got past him.

The “escapees” ran for their lives, with the center’s employees hot on their heels.

Nine were not so lucky and were recaptured. They were taken back to their respective dormitories for another chance at rehabilitation.

“Pag-abot didto sa second gate gisuwayan unta to pagsira ang pultahan apan tungod sa kadaghan sa mga bata, na-overpower ang gwardya. Mao to nakagawas ang atong mga personnel on duty sa operation Second Chance. Gigukod nila kay nagpanon ra man pagkanaog. Ang nakuptan ra gyud ang siyam. Ang 11 nakadagan gyud,” Tumulak told Superbalita Cebu.

(When the CICL arrived at the main gate, the guard tried to close the door but there were too many of them and they overpowered him. Personnel on duty rushed outside to go after those who managed to get out. The CICL ran downhill as a group. The personnel managed to grab hold of nine of them but the 11 got away.)

The center’s personnel also called the police, hoping they’d arrived in time to catch the minors but they were too late.

According to Police Major Dindo Alaras, chief of the Guadalupe Police Station, they have the names of the escapees.

Alaras said they will study the children’s profile and check what the children did to get detained in the center. This might give police an idea where the escapees went, he said.

“We know who they are. Our job now is to look for them. Maybe the children went home to their parents or headed a relative’s house,” Alaras said in Cebuano.

Police already contacted the escapees’ parents, who promised to cooperate with authorities and officials of the center.

Tumulak urged the parents to help police locate the minors so they could be returned to the center as soon as possible and safely.

The city councilor said he didn’t want the children to face additional charges.

Tumulak said the oldest of the escapees is 18 years old. They’re all facing various cases.

He said they were put in the facility and not treated as prisoners since the center is run like a house. Because of Friday night’s incident, management has tightened security at the facility.

Established in 2002, the center was designed to accommodate 200 minors. (from AYB of Superbalita/PJB)

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