Marikina cops play Santa to street kids

The 220-strong Marikina City police force will give up smoking cigarettes and drinking beer for a day to raise money and treat some 230 street children to a day of merrymaking and gifts tomorrow.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, said the move aims to bring the police closer to residents of depressed areas through the children.

"This is our way of making street children happy even for just a day and show them that they are not being neglected by the government," Rojas said in an interview.

The program, dubbed "Santa Cops Gift-Giving sa Kapuspalad na mga Bata," is a joint undertaking between the police and the Civic Action Team (CAT), a non-government organization.

Under the setup, 220 policemen would forego their P60 a day subsistence allowance to raise some P17,000 for the project. Twenty CAT members would also be shelling out P200 each.

Rojas said he and his men agreed to give up cigarettes, beer and other vices for a day. "Iwas muna kami sa bisyo ng isang araw para lang mapaligaya ang mga street children," he said.

The Marikina City police chief has required 14 precinct commanders to bring 15 street children each for the program to be held at the Marikina City Sports Center starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow. The CAT members promised to bring 20 children.

Invited to grace the affair were Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando and Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon.

The street children, Rojas said, will be given food and be treated to hours of entertainment and games. They will also be going home with gifts, he added. — Non Alquitran