Anti-Mendicancy Task Force head: Drive futile if public won't help

CEBU, Philippines - The head of the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Task Force admitted that the campaign against mendicants cannot be effectively accomplished if the public will not help.

Isabelita “Betty” Ganub discouraged the public from giving money to the mendicants and beggars because this will only encourage them to continue their bad practice of earning money.

Ganub admitted that the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Board, where she is a member, being the head of the Anti-Mendicancy Office, already has three male personnel and a few other females who are members of the task force but they are still not capable of launching a massive drive against the mendicants.

The mendicants, particularly the members of the Badjao tribes, are rampant within the vicinity of Iglesia Ni Kristo Church along General Maxilom Avenue and along M. J. Cuenco Avenue, which is just a stone’s throw away from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office.

Ganub said when they rescue these minor mendicants in the streets and turn them over to Community Scouts, they go back to the streets the next day.

In other parts of the country like in Davao City, Ganub said the campaign against mendicants had been very successful because its officials have the political will to enforce the law.

There is an existing national law under Presidential Decree 1563 that penalizes those persons who give alms to mendicants. Cebu City also has a similar legislation in City Ordinance 1631. The ordinance carries only a penalty of P1,000 or community service of at least four hours.

 The implementation of Republic Act 9344 prohibits the arrest and filing of criminal charges against minors who will be caught violating the law and has practically rendered useless the city’s campaign against child mendicants.

Ganub also claimed that several barangay officials are not helping the city’s campaign against mendicancy in their territorial jurisdictions that is why the mendicants can be seen in many areas of the city.

The National Anti-Mendicancy Law was enacted into law in 1978 by then President Marcos in order to prevent the exploitation of infants and children through mendicancy and provide habilitative services for those already exploited or in immediate danger of exploitation.

The law also aims to promote the rehabilitation of minors found begging as well as mendicants by providing an integrated developmental package of preventive, habilitative interceptive, remedial and rehabilitative services.

It prompted the City Anti-Indecency Board to suggest that the city build a facility for the homeless mendicants that will be rescued. — (FREEMAN)