By NITZ ARANCON and LITO RULONA Correspondents ON the eve of the reimplementation of a curfew ordinance for children in the city, the busy streets of Tomas Saco and 14th streets, “home” to a number of street children, became a juvenile delinquent-free zone. Gone were the children who either begged or slept just outside a popular convenient store. The scene was a stark contrast to what the area was days Wednesday night where street children flocked up to the wee hours. There was no sign of them outside or even inside a nearby Internet café where they used to gather often. The Internet café worker outside laughed when he was asked where the children were. “9 pm pa lang, wala na sila nag pakita. Ang uban gi sakwat na sa ilang mga ginikanan,” he said. Fifteen minutes before the start of the 10 pm curfew in Barangay Consolacion, authorities did the rounds using the barangay’s Multicab, announcing that the curfew was about to start. Members of the barangay tanod reminded parents to check if all their children were with them in their house already. The Multicab roamed around twice before the barangay workers started rounding up children caught playing in the streets. Things, however, turned hilarious when an adamant mother dared the barangay tanod to take her instead. The woman was so insistent that the tanod was forced to take her. At least 13 children were rounded up by the members of the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) and the police on Wednesday night. Three of the children reeked of liquor and solvent, said CSWD team leader Norje Jaya Sarip. Sarip said only two of the city’s police stations were asked to help in the initial reimplementation of the City Ordinance 4373-94 or the Curfew Ordinance, passed in 1994 during the Magtajas administration. Ordinance 4373 sets the daily curfew hours for minors in the city from 10 pm to 5 am. The city law applies to children, and teenagers under 18 years. Sarip said of the 13 children picked up, three were sent to the Tahanan ng Kabataan in Barangay Lumbia while the rest were sent home yesterday with their parents or guardians receiving warnings--they were asked to sign promisory notes. She said the three children who were sent to Lumbia were from Opol, Balingasag and Gingoog in Misamis Oriental. Their parents or guardians have yet to be reached by authorities at presstime. “Walay klaro sila nga they have parents,” said Sarip of the three children rounded up in Divisoria while the two others and Barangay Nazareth. CSWD chief Teddy Sabuga-a said, “Ang tuyo ra gyud niining sa implementation sa curfew, ang paghatag ra gyud ug protection sa mga minors nga na-a sa  gitawag og ‘difficult circumstances.’” Sabuga-a said the children have been exposed to “vulnerable situations,” and exposed to health risks, and crimes. Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera, city police director, said the officers from the Cogon and Divisoria police stations were fielded with social workers. Olaguera said the children were treated with care. “Dili man nato sila ma-preso kay minor man. Ma-o nga amo sila nga gi-turnover sa CSWD,” he said, citing RA 7344 that provides that minors have no criminal liability. Former vice mayor Antonio Soriano said the Curfew Ordinance should be amended by the city council because of the national law authored by Senator-elect Francis Pangilinan that provides legal immunity for minors. “The city ordinance was already amended by the law authored by Pangilinan. Dili na kini applicable nga ordinance. Between an ordinance and a law, the law would prevail,” said Soriano, a member of the city council when the 1994 ordinance was passed. A councilor, Enrico Salcedo, earlier said he would seek the amendment of the Curfew Ordinance so that irresponsible parents or guardians can be punished. (with reports from cong corrales and kristian dave achondo)