The Cebu City government rounded up at least 170 street dwellers during their second rescue operation at dawn on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
Police Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, deputy city director for operations of CCPO, said profiling will be done to determine if some of the rescued persons were the same people who were rounded up during the launch of the rescue operation last Friday.
Operatives of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and members of the city’s Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement (PROBE) started the operation early to find out where the street dwellers were really staying.
To completely remove beggars from the streets, City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the city is looking into the possibility of providing livelihood programs for the rescued individuals.
“Those who are trainable, we have instructed the DMDP (Department of Manpower Development and Placement) to provide livelihood training. We know that some are going back to the streets but we will not stop. We will be relentless especially that most of the rescued persons were Cebu City residents who are not actually homeless but they chose to go out and roam around,” said Labella.
The Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) will take care of the rescued individuals until such time that arrangements are made for their return home.
Words by Lalaine Vergara and Lorille Antoinette Mata
Layout by Kiziah Magbanua
Comments