TWO children in conflict with the law (CICL) who escaped from the Cebu City Operation Second Chance (CCOSC) will be back at the facility in Barangay Kalunasan on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019.
Ambrocio Ibones, CCOSC head, said his personnel were supposed to fetch these minors last Friday, Oct. 18. But they had to cancel it as the scheduled visit of the CICL’s relatives fell on the same day. The CCOSC, which lacks personnel, was in need of its manpower to secure the facility.
After the two CICL would be fetched on Saturday, Ibones said there are two others who are still at large, said Ibones. Most of the minors’ offenses involved illegal drugs.
Thirty CICL staged an escape from the CCOSC last Oct. 4; only 20 of them made it past the facility’s main gate. Authorities captured nine CICL outside the CCOSC. Seven others surrendered separately and were taken back to the CCOSC.
Two of those who surrendered said they were pushed to escape as some of the house parents and police officers assigned at the facility maltreated them and hurt them physically on several occasions.
But when Labella asked the CICL if any of them had been maltreated, they said they were never harmed inside the CCOSC.
Ibones, in an earlier report, said that his strict implementation of the house rules—the ban on mobile phones, cigarettes and visit of the residents’ girlfriends—may have angered some of the CICL.
The 10-day ultimatum given by Labella to the CCOSC management in bringing the escapees back to the facility will expire on Saturday. However, the mayor gave Ibones enough time to get the remaining CICL who are still outside the facility.
Labella said the CICL are not a threat to the community as majority of them had not committed any heinous crime. But, he said, they should stay at the CCOSC while their cases are still being heard in courts. (from PAC of Superbalita Cebu/KAL)