ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has set its sights on monitoring 28 newly established youth gangs within the city.
According to ICPO spokesperson Major Shella Mae Sangrines, a significant portion of these gang members are minors and students. The breakdown of these youth gangs per district is as follows:
* City Proper and Molo – eight gangs each
* Jaro – six gangs
* Arevalo – four gangs
* La Paz and Mandurriao – one gang each
Sangrines pointed out that these gangs lack formal organization.
“Mostly, these groups have just banded together since the majority of their members are minors. We are closely watching their movements,” she said.
In response to this development, ICPO director Colonel Joeresty Coronica announced plans to increase police presence, especially during nighttime hours.
The enforcement of the 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew for minors will also be made more stringent.
Coronica further urged parents to keep a close watch on their children’s activities and to dissuade them from venturing out late.
“To prevent incidents involving minors, we must bolster our forces and rigorously uphold the curfew rules for young individuals. I urge parents to keep a closer eye on their children to deter them from getting embroiled in gang-related confrontations,” said Coronica.
He also appealed to barangay officials and tanods, encouraging them to conduct nightly patrols within their respective jurisdictions.
On Monday, Oct. 9, police apprehended two minors, aged 17 and 16, from Barangay Tanza-Baybay, City Proper, following a brawl.
These individuals also faced accusations of violating the Commission on Elections gun ban, as a knife was discovered in their possession.
Both were subsequently handed over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office for appropriate action./PN
