By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will double its presence in the streets after two groups of minors engaged in a street brawl along Lacson Street in the city’s Barangay Mandalagan last week.

BCPO public information officer, Police Lt. Liberty Indiape said police will now regularly check beer houses and bars.

With the easing of the health restrictions and the curfew hours, Indiape advised barangay officials to station some of their tanods near bars to prevent any troubles that may arise.

Indiape also advised parents to monitor their children and not allow them to exit their house during the late evening hours.

Bacolod City also has an existing curfew ordinance for minors.

Under City Ordinance No. 331, all minors are not allowed in the city’s streets from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. unless they are accompanied by their parents or guardian.

Earlier this year, Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran had already urged the BCPO to strictly enforce the said ordinance in response to an incident at the Bacolod City Government Center when two rival groups of minors engaged in a brawl which ended in the stabbing and death of a 15-year-old boy./DGB, WDJ