The new curfew ordinance in Navotas City, which was previously junked by the Supreme Court due to apparent human rights violations of minors, is likely to be passed this time.
Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco said the new ordinance, authored by Councilor EJ Arriola, is now set to be signed and published by the high court this second week of December.
“The draft ordinance has undergone revisions based on the inputs from various sectors. It will be immediately implemented once it is passed and has gone through legalities,” Tiangco said.
The Supreme Court abolished the first curfew ordinance of Navotas along with that of the city of Manila after the Spark youth group was screened. Spark complained of the rules set out in the ordinance that it said were “strict and violent” and against the provisions of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
It also discussed the basic rights of the youth, including the right to participate in organizations, religious rights, organizing and right to expression.
After the ordinance was abolished, the number of nighttime incidents involving the youth increased, Tiangco said. Thus the Navotas City Council patterned its new ordinance after a similar one in Quezon City to pass the Supreme Court’s standards.
The new ordinance includes enforcing more severe penalties for parents or guardians of young people who violate the ordinance. It is anticipated that young people aged 17 and younger will be prohibited on the streets unaccompanied from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Young people can attend school or religious activities as long as they are with their parents, guardians or a companion of legal age, the ordinance reads.