THIRTEEN minors, aged 15 to 17, escaped from the Operation Second Chance (OSC), a facility for children in conflict with the law (CICL) in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025.
The incident happened at 6:45 a.m. when the CICLs took advantage of an open gate during the facility’s routine garbage disposal, authorities said.
Twelve of the CICLs were quickly recaptured during a rescue operation, while the last escapee, a 16-year-old boy known only as “Zan,” surrendered later in the day.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the juveniles bolted when houseparents opened the gate to let out garbage.
Some of them dropped what they were carrying, then ran toward the back portion of the facility and scaled the 10-foot concrete fence.
“Upon the opening of the gate, the CICLs immediately rushed out and jumped over the fence. The houseparents really can’t use force because they are minors, so they were able to escape quickly,” Tumulak said.
Personnel from the Guadalupe Police Station and the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team of the Cebu City Police Office, aided by nearby residents, managed to track down most of the juveniles within minutes.
Authorities said the minors did not resist when recovered, though some suffered bruises after jumping down from the high fence.
Later that day, Zan turned himself in before officials of Barangay Suba after he was spotted by a concerned citizen.
Barangay officials contacted Tumulak who facilitated the boy’s rescue together with his grandmother.
They then brought him to City Hall, where he met with Mayor Nestor Archival.
Investigation
It was revealed that Zan and the 12 other CICLs had planned their escape the night before.
His grandmother said the teen admitted running away because he wanted to play basketball and join his friends in the upcoming barangay fiesta in Pahina San Nicolas on Sept. 10.
As part of the city’s intervention, Archival announced that the local government will provide sports equipment to the rehabilitation center to encourage the minors to engage in healthier recreational activities while in custody.
Tumulak said an internal investigation is underway to determine if lapses were committed. He emphasized that the OSC is a rehabilitation center designed more like a home, not a prison.
He also denied the children were mistreated, stressing that psychologists have been assigned to counsel the CICLs.
Retired police major Ceferino “Jun” Tabay, who heads the facility, was directed to strengthen daily supervision and ensure regular counseling sessions.
As part of corrective measures, garbage disposal procedures will be revised so that trash is placed in a designated area before the CICLs are secured inside.
Tumulak also requested the Department of General Services to install barbed wires atop the perimeter fence as a deterrent.
This is not the first time minors have escaped from the facility. In April 2022, 20 minors also bolted from the center.
In January 2023, 17 minors again managed to escape. Just months later, on Christmas Eve of the same year, 12 more slipped out from the weak fencing.
Earlier incidents include six CICLs fleeing during a reported riot in December 2019, and 11 others escaping in October 2019.
The City Council, led by Councilor Paul Labra II, is set to hold an executive session on Sept. 30 to review the condition of the OSC and discuss reforms to prevent similar incidents.
The facility is a city-run rehabilitation center that provides education, counseling, and skills training to the CICLs to prepare them for reintegration into society. / CAV