By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Councilor Caesar Distrito yesterday said local police should strictly implement the ordinance setting a 10:00 p.m. curfew for minors.
After the Bacolod City Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) noted some robbery suspects have turned out to be minors, the city councilor believes implementation of the curfew could reduce the number of robbery incidents in the city.
In a message to Watchmen Daily Journal, Distrito called the curfew a “preemptive measure” to deter crime.
Under City Ordinance 331, series of 2003, all minors below 18 years old are barred from loitering the streets between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.
Those caught in violation of the ordinance are handed over to either the city’s Social Development Center (SDC) or barangay officials, who are then tasked with contacting the minor’s parents.
Punishment for repeat offenders may result in their parents facing up to 20 hours of community service, P2,000 in fines, and a 10-day prison sentence./WDJ