A PUBLIC hearing on the proposed ordinance regulating the travel of children or minors alone or unaccompanied by parents or guardians to and from Cagayan de Oro City without proper documentation was conducted last Friday by the City Council committee on sports and youth development headed by Councilor Jay Pascual.
This was also attended by Councilor Edna Dahino, the proponent, and representatives of the City Legal Office, City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD), Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), among others.
As reiterated by Dahino, the ordinance aims to monitor the travel of minors into and out of the city with a view to protect minors against child trafficking and ensure that the parents, legal guardian or custodian have direct knowledge of the minor’s whereabouts, who he/she is travelling with, and the purpose of his/her travel.
During the public hearing, the participants agreed that as long as the travel is legal, the parents and/or custodians may present any of the listed documents such as birth certificate, proof of adoption, court order, affidavit of parental consent or barangay certification, and Parental Travel Permit issued by the DSWD.
The proposed law penalizes persons who will present fraud documents or papers to comply with the requirement.
It mandates the investigation of parents, legal guardians, or custodians who consent to the travel of the minor/child for the purpose of exploitation, which included at a minimum, the exploitation or the prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, servitude or the removal or sale of organs and other persons involved.
It also provides the establishment of at least one Children’s Desk in every land, air and seaport within the city with assigned Women and Children Protection Desk Officer, or trained police woman officer of the PNP, and a trained social worker from CSWD. (clo)
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