Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso warned that they will begin cracking down on "irresponsible" parents who let their children go out in public without face masks and during curfew hours.
He said this after data from the Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) and Manila Police District (MPD) showed that a number of minors were apprehended for violating curfew hours and the city ordinance on the wearing of face masks amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a Facebook post on Monday (July 13), Domagoso said 1,039 persons have been accosted for not wearing face masks in public, while 9,367 have been apprehended for staying outside during curfew hours. The majority of the violators are reportedly minors.
He also said there were minors among the 1,028 street dwellers rescued by the MDSW.
"Marami diyan ay pinabayaan ng mga magulang. Ilan sa kanila ay positibo sa COVID-19 matapos ang testing pagkaraang ma-rescue sa kalsada (A lot of them were neglected by their parents. Some of them tested positive for COVID-19 after they were rescued from the streets)," he said.
The Manila mayor said he ordered MPD Director Rolando Miranda and MDSW Chief Re Fugoso to file charges against negligent parents.
"Let’s start jailing irresponsible parents. I don’t mind kung mapuno ang ating mga kulungan ng mga pabayang magulang dahil sa paglabag sa (if our jail cells are filled with parents who violated) Ordinance No. 8243 o ang (or the) Anti-Child Endangerment Ordinance of the City of Manila," Domagoso said.
"Hard time requires hard decision para mapigilan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19 (to stop the spread of COVID-19)," he added. "Kaya sa mga magulang, maging responsable po tayo (So to all parents - let's be responsible)."