Irresponsible parents who let their children leave home without face masks during curfew hours should be jailed, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso said Monday.
Domagoso made the remarks upon receiving a report from the Manila Department of Social Welfare that more minors were apprehended for violating curfew and face mask ordinances.
Domagoso said there were also minors among the 1,028 street dwellers rescued by the MDSW.
"Many of them are not attended to properly by their parents; may of them are COVID-19 positive after they were tested following apprehension,” he said.
The Mayor said the parents of these children should face charges for neglect.
"Let’s start jailing irresponsible parents. I don’t mind if our jails would be crowded because of parents violating the Anti-Child Endangerment Ordinance of the City Manila," Domagoso said.
"Hard time requires hard decisions so we can check the spread of coronavirus,” he added.
Domagoso ordered MPD chief Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda and MDSW chief Re Fugoso to file charges against parents caught neglecting their children.
