PUTTING children inside the trunk of a vehicle is a considered child abuse, a City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) official said.
The recent incident elicited reaction from the Cagayan de Oro “netizens” (internet citizens) when a video was uploaded by a concerned citizen on a Facebook page of a local TV network showing two children sitting in a car trunk, with plate number KCA-518, for the entire ride.
“The act itself is really a violation. Dili gyud to siya mao ug pwede (it was not right and it should not be),” City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) officer Teddy Sabuga-a said Wednesday.
In a report of TV Patrol Northern Mindanao, the car was driven by a certain Cristino Ansin Jr. who was later identified by his father, Cristino Sr. who is from Balongis, Barangay Balulang.
On behalf of his son, he said there were no ‘cruel’ intentions in putting the children in the trunk but was done out of necessity.
“I was not fully aware that my son put the children in the trunk on their way to church. By law, it was really a violation. However, it was only done because my son didn’t have a choice and didn’t want to leave the children at home too,” Cristino Sr. said in a local TV interview.
Sabuga-a told this paper that actions will definitely be taken since the video went also viral getting a lot of reactions from the netizens.
The children’s feelings toward it are the concern of the CSWD and the “real” motive of Cristino Jr. comes second, Sabuga-a said.
“Our concern is on the kids who were at the trunk and how they felt during the ride. That is our high priority now, and not on the motive,” he added.
CSWD will send a letter today to the barangay and call the parents of the children for a dialogue together with the members of the executive committee on children-related concerns.
“We will do this because we want to officially end this issue. I think the interviewee was sincere, but, we, the concerned body will do something about this,” he said.