Camanava revives curfew on minors

In an bid to minimize casualties in the likelihood of a bomb attack, local officials in the Camanava area are now reviving old ordinances that impose a curfew on minors at certain hours of the day.

The mayors of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela ordered their respective police chiefs yesterday to fully implement the curfew ordinance to restrict the movement of the youth for their own safety.

The united move was in compliance with the recent order from higher authorities to enforce curfew hours for youths in the light of increasing terrorist threats as well as violence from street gang wars which often result in senseless deaths.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco and acting mayor of neighboring Malabon City Mark Allan Yambao, said they have decided to act together in order to make sure that the implementation of curfew in their respective areas of responsibility would be carried out.

Caloocan City Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo, together with Yambao and Tiangco, told reporters they have met with their police chiefs and barangay officials prior to the full implementation of the curfew that would affect persons below 17 years old.

"We have been quietly implementing the curfew ordinance in Natovas’ 14 barangays since the spate of bombings and in the light of continuing bomb threats," Tiangco said.

Accompanied by police chief Superintendent Pedro Ramos, Yambao is personally inspecting trouble-prone areas in the city’s 21 barangays to determine which of them will be given more police attention.

Yambao said the success of the implementation of curfew in his turf would be determined by the level of cooperation the barangay leaders and the community will lend.

Valenzuela city administrator Carmelita Lozada, speaking for Mayor Bobbit Carlos, said that the Sangguniang Panlunsod did not pass any measure for the purpose.

"We are giving the responsibility to the barangay officials who will enact the measure depending on the need of the particular barangay," Lozada said.

She said Carlos had earlier wanted to come up with an ordinance for the purpose so that the implementation would be city-wide.

"Since our barangay officials are more knowledgeable in their respective areas, the city government gave them a free-hand to implement local curfew," Lozada said in a phone interview.