By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Amid the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) operation to rescue Badjaos, commonly referred to as ‘sea gypsies’ and often seen begging on the street, the DSSD Anti-Mendicancy Task Force revealed during a recent radio interview that one such individual had remitted a total of P38,000 from Bacolod City to Mindanao.

According to task force coordinator Ma. Socorro Detangco, two receipts were found from one of the rescued Badjaos; each revealed local money transfers to Mindanao with the first showing P17,000 remitted last month and another P21,000 sent last week.

She echoed recent sentiment by DSSD head Pacita Tero and discouraged the public from giving money to street beggars.

The 27 rescued Badjaos were returned home to Victorias City and Sagay City.

Earlier, BCPO and DSSD conducted a simultaneous joint operation last Wednesday to rescue Badjaos and ‘rugby boys,’ minors in the habit of huffing rugby, a kind of regulated solvent.

The agencies then conducted a dialogue and feeding program before handing the street beggars over the DSSD Anti-Mendicancy Task Force./DGB, WDJ