Authorities round-up informal settlers

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

AT LEAST 450 individuals –– street children and informal settlers –– living in the streets were rounded-up by the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Office and Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) yesterday early morning.

City Councilor Reuben Daba, city council chairman for the Committee on Social Services said the move was an effort of the administration of City Mayor Oscar Moreno to rid the city streets of street children and informal settlers.

“We will save the children living in the streets og atong ipatubag ang mga ginikanan nga nagpasagad sa ilang kaugalingon,” he said.

He said they also considered informal settlers’ reasons like lack of employment or affordable housing, income inequality, substance abuse, poor health, relationship abuse, and the rising cost of living standards.

Daba said they are now conducting a profiling of the persons and children rescued in the streets who are now temporarily detained at Maharlika Rehabilitation and Detention Center (MRDC) located inside former-Cocpo headquarters.

Initially, CSWD profiling reveals that most of the persons and children rounded up were not local residents but were coming from adjacent cities like Iligan, Butuan, Gingoog, and Bukidnon province.

He said the children found to have no family living nearby would be referred to Mother Theresa Foundation and street children homes.

Daba said the parents found to have violated the newly-approved city ordinance Parent’s Responsibility Code in warning them and face possible sanctions if their children would again be rescued in the city streets.

“Kadtong wala na gyu’y mga ginikanan ato sab nga iefer to Tahanan ng mga Kabataan in barangay Lumbia and would be assisted by the city government in growing up and in sending them to school,” he said.

Daba said among other reasons that they have rounded-up the people living in the streets is to stay them away from syndicated crime groups in the city.

“We are already serious in this undertaking para gyud matul-id gyud sila sa paghimo og krimen labi na kanang gapang-garas og mga sakyanan kung dili ka mohatag sa ilang gipangayo,” he said.

Most of the people who were rounded up came from Agora in Barangay Lapasan, Bulua Terminals, Divisoria, Cogon and Carmen Public Markets and living under the city’s existing bridge along Carmen, JR Borja, and Consolacion.

Cocpo information officer Chief Insp. Marvie Hortillosa said they are also reviewing those they have rounded up if they have pending arrest warrants.

“Kadtong makita nato nga dunay crime nga nahimo then we will turn them over to court and possibly sending them to Lumbia City Jail,” Hortillosa said.