THE House committee on welfare of children has approved a substitute bill seeking to establish a curfew to keep minors safe and off the streets at night.
The proposed “Unsafe Hours for Children” substituted House Bills 894 and 2332 was approved by the committee, chaired by Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Divina Grace Yu, setting the stage for plenary action.
One of the bill’s authors, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, said he is optimistic on the enactment of the measure as this aims to promote the well-being of children and their families by ensuring their collective safety.
“The bill seeks to prevent children from becoming vulnerable to the negative influences of street life,” Nograles, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said.
The bill also intends to reduce the opportunities when children can be used as instruments of crime, he added.
“Keeping children off the streets at night will protect them from becoming victims of crime, abuse and other forms of exploitation,” said Nograles.
Department of the Interior and Local Government officials earlier expressed strong support for the bill to impose a nationwide curfew for minors.
Local Government Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño told lawmakers at a congressional hearing last week a nationwide curfew for minors would address juvenile delinquency as this would help instill discipline among the youth.
Diño said the proposed nationwide curfew would also discourage criminals from using minors in the commission of crimes.
Diño echoed the support expressed by the Philippine National Police chief, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, saying “that [absence of a law imposing curfew on children] has been the long source of frustration of the police.”
He added that a nationwide curfew would also “protect the minors from abuse and exploitation.”
Under the bill, it shall be unlawful for parents or legal guardians to, knowingly or by insufficient control, allow their children to loiter, roam around, meander, or sleep in any public place during unsafe hours from 10 p.m. up to 5 a.m. without lawful purpose or justifiable reason.
As defined in the proposal, “children” means persons below 18 years of age or those over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition.
“Insufficient control” refers to lack or absence of measures intended to keep the child inside, or prevent the child from leaving the family abode during unsafe hours.
“Public place” means all places accessible to the general public or places for collective use.
The prohibition shall not apply when the children are chaperoned or accompanied by either parent.