FIRST, there was a secret organized group known as the Davao Death Squad (DDS); then in later years came the legitimate police operation Toktok Hangyo (TokHang).
Both the lawful and unlawful missions successfully neutralized the criminals and saved Davao city from becoming a wild wild west.
In October 2019, another cloak-and-dagger appeared. It was an orphic organization of masked men, riding in tandem to apparently enforce curfew by arbitrarily whipping the targets. The victims and witnesses named them Davao Bunal Squad (DBS). And as usual, Davao Police vowed to investigate.
While the Davao Police has yet to make good of their promissory, another similar whipping incident was reported last week.
The Davao Death Squad worked in no time pattern, but the notorious Davao Bunal Squad operates only during wee hours.
These occurrences raised suspicions that bunal squad worked in support to the Davao City Children’s Welfare Code which was amended just in time when they first afflicted the city.
Along with the suspicions, pranksters also believe that the members of this squad are having flawless familiar faces like government regulars, so they protect their unblemished faces with a mask.
They could have also hide their real identities from branding as among the illiterates who haven’t understand the amendments of the ordinance that only minors will be kicked out from the internet cafes from 9p.m. to 6a.m.
No minor victims so far, so the wanton whipping did not horrify them. And so the squad’s actions are not accomplishments because it did not serve the purpose.
My ten cents to the squad, remove your masks to maintain a friendly look. If you see minors on the streets or inside the internet cafes on wee hours, accompany them to their homes and tokhang the parents for the good of their growing kids.
If in the future the same offense is committed, penalize the parents, like P2,500; P3,500 or some of sort community service, rather than imposing penalties to the internet cafes for consenting minors. Internet cafes if you know are also struggling of their revenues.
We hope that the committee on women, children, and family relations will consider this provision in the future amendments.