Benitez urges police to strictly enforce city ordinances

Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo urged the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to strictly enforce all the city ordinances, especially the curfew ordinance for minors starting at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

This, after at least two minors were allegedly involved in a hold-up incident in the area of Barangay Estefania over the weekend.

Benitez said the police should strictly enforce all the ordinances that are relevant and need to be enforced.

"Our enforcement was really lacking in focus, like this incident, and that is why I am calling on the public to report our failure of enforcement," he said.

Bacolod City has an existing City Ordinance No. 331, an ordinance providing special protection for children during nighttime by imposing curfews for minors.

City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. also said they are now coordinating with the BCPO and Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) to address the children in conflict with the law in the city.

He said the minor offenders should have separate rehabilitation from the criminals.

For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie Brillo, deputy city director for operations of BCPO, said they are now coordinating with Police Station 4 to address the hold-up incident involving minors.

He said Colonel Noel Aliño, director of the BCPO, had already ordered all station commanders to review all the city ordinances for their implementation.

He added they were also tasked with intensifying visibility patrol to prevent the possible operations of the lawless elements, including the minors.*