Cop: Repeated arrests may deter street beggars in Lipa

 

Lipa City’s new police chief wants to replicate what he did to these children in Dasmarinas City, Cavite

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LIPA CITY—How do you get rid of street beggars in Lipa City?

Newly-installed Lipa City police chief Supt. Carlos Barde wants to replicate the tried and tested formula when he was still assigned in Dasmariñas, Cavite: Just keep on arresting them.

“When I was in Dasmariñas, we arrest all of them even eight year olds with the help of the Task Force and the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), we bring them to the police station,” Barde told the members of the Lipa City Council in his April 6 courtesy call with local legislators during Monday’s regular session.

The police, however, do not file a case against these arrested children in court; rather, the police allow the children to stay at the police station “within the eight hours reglamentary period.”

Soon Barde acknowledged that these kids would be back on the streets after they were released from police custody. And when the police find these same people begging on the streets, Barde says: “We will arrest them again until it comes to a point that they are already get tired of begging in Dasmariñas as they always get caught.”

Barde promised that the police under his watch would coordinate with the City Social Welfare and Development Office and with the approval of the mayor he plans to replicate in Lipa City what they did with street children in Dasmariñas.

Last November, Councilor Joel Pua, chairman of the committee on peace and order and traffic, called for a stricter implementation of the mendicancy law in Lipa City. This is amid complaints from people who have been victims by “abusive” beggars who had gone rowdy and spit on those who would refuse to give them some money.

While there’s nothing wrong with helping the needy, Pua said there’s still a need to protect people from these beggars.  “If those who are helping the needy are being abused then better that we do something about it,” the neophyte councilor then said.

It’s been a practice of these beggars to board passenger jeeps, give away letters asking for help, play drums and right after collect money before they disembark on whatever destination of their choice.

But there were reports in the past that some street children were using the money to buy illegal drugs.

Councilor Kathleen Briones also raised alarm over some police reports that some of the children beggars, numbering to 33 who were rescued by the police’s Oplan Sagip Program last year, are drug users. Eight adults were also arrested in the said operation conducted on July 30 and 31 last year.

She also quoted Barde’s predecessor as saying that there’s no active drug program at the barangay level and there’s no existing facility to shelter the arrested minors who are solvent users.

The police also found out that these children were saving the money they collected from begging and later give them to adults who buy rugby or solvent for them.

Presidential Decree 1563 or the Philippine Mendicancy Law of 1978 defines a mendicant as “any person who has no visible and legal means of support or lawful employment and who is physically able to work but neglects to apply himself to some calling and instead uses begging as a means of living.

The 1978 law stipulates that infants or children aged eight years and below who are found begging shall be apprehended as a neglected child under Article 141 of PD 603 (or the Philippine Child Youth and Welfare Code).

The said child or children found begging shall be committed to the custody and care of the Department of Social Services and Development (now the Department of Social Welfare and Development), or to a duly licensed child placement group.

Likewise, any minor over nine years old under 15 who is found begging or is being utilized for begging and who acted without discernment shall also be apprehended as a neglected child and put under the same DSWD’s care.

Any minor over nine years old and under 15 who is found begging, or is being used for begging, and who acted with discernment, shall be proceeded against in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3 of PD 603.

Those individuals found begging and who are physically or mentally incapable of gainful occupation shall be provided the integrated package of services by the DSWD, the local government units’ social welfare and development offices unit and other cooperating agencies and groups.

A mendicant who will be found guilty violating the said law may face fine penalties of up to P500 or up to two years imprisonment or both depending on the court’s discretion. A habitual mendicant likewise may be fined P1,000 or imprisoned for up to four years.

Parents of exploited infants or minors under Section 4 of the said law shall be censured in accordance with Articles 59 and 60 of PD 603 where they may be incarcerated for two to six months and fined up to P500, unless they are themselves are mendicants.

Those who abet mendicancy by giving alms directly to mendicants, exploited infants and minors on public roads, sidewalks, parks and bridges may be penalized by a fine of up to P20.

About Jeremaiah Opiniano