Rescuing minors

Egay Uy .

THE Regulatory and Complaint Board (RCB) is not anti-business.  It is for the protection of minors.

The recent rescue operations of the RCB, in coordination with the Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office through its Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk, have been fruitful, to say the least.

This month of November, the RCB-led operations were able to rescue more than 100 children, mostly from computer and “pisonet” shops between seven o’clock in the morning and three o’clock in the afternoon. Some others were rescued from drinking joints and some others were from a lodging house.

The Cagayan de Oro City Comprehensive Children’s Welfare Code (Ordinance 13394-2018) prohibits minors from playing computer and video games in internet and pisonet shops between those hours during school days.  Minors can, of course, do research work in these shops provided they present to the business operator a consent card signed by both their school principal and parents.

Some of the minors who were rescued in the morning reasoned out that their classes were in the afternoon hence they were merely killing time in the internet shops. Even then, the city ordinance is categorical in that no minor should be allowed to play computer or video games between those hours during class days.

Business operators who tolerate or allow minors to violate this provision of the city ordinance are issued a Notice of Inspection Findings and are eventually penalized.  And business operators cannot interpose as a defense that they did not know that there were minors in their establishments.  When in doubt, they can simply demand that ID cards be presented before allowing customers to play.

The results of operations that the RCB posted on its Facebook page generated a considerable number of reactions. Most comments are in favor of the operations conducted, while some others are not. Understandably, the comments against the operations are mostly from gamers.

The RCB has also repeatedly appealed to the internet and pisonet shop operators to refrain from admitting minors into their shops during prohibited hours unless the consent cards are shown.

The operations have not fallen merely in the statistics books. The erring business operators were slapped with fines in accordance with the violated city ordinances.  And the penalties could either be imposition of fines, partial closure of the business, permanent closure of the business, or filing of criminal cases in court.

The RCB does not want to resort to the fourth course of action, i.e., filing of cases in court, unless defiance is blatant and disregard of regulation is repeatedly committed.

Yes, the RCB is not anti-business.  It is for the protection of minors.

(Egay Uy is a lawyer. He chairs the City’s Regulatory and Complaint Board, co-chairs with the city mayor the City Price Coordinating Council, and chairs the city’s Joint Inspection Team.  He retired as a vice president of Cepalco.)