Council seeks probe into “mobilization” of minors

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council is now calling on national and local agencies to investigate the alleged “mobilization” of minors to City Hall following their appearance during a session that includes a deliberation on the fate of a scholarship agreement.

The author of the measure, Councilor Mikel Rama, who chairs the Committee on Laws of the council, raised concerns in his resolution about the minors’ presence, which he highlighted may have been staged for “political propaganda.”

“This Council expresses its grave concern regarding the alleged deceptive mobilization, exploitation, and unauthorized recording of minor students for supposed political propaganda and legislative leverage,” part of the resolution states.

The council then unanimously approved the resolution.

The resolution calls on the National Bureau of Investigation-Cybercrime Division, the Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center, and the Ombudsman–Visayas to conduct fact-finding inquiries into possible violations of child protection, data privacy, and anti-graft laws.

It also requests the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Schools Division to review compliance with regulations on off-campus activities.

Rama emphasized that the incident contravened DepEd safeguards.

“The purported misrepresentation of a legislative mobilization as a mere scholarship orientation fundamentally bypasses regulatory safeguards, potentially vitiating parental consent and warranting investigation,” Rama noted.

While Rama did not name the school in his resolution, most of the students were identified as being from the Asian College of Technology (ACT) Pit-os campus.

Their presence inside the session hall coincided with the council’s deliberation on Councilor Alvin Arcilla’s proposal to accredit ACT for the city’s scholarship program.

That measure was narrowly rejected, with the opposing majority citing incomplete documentation and conflict-of-interest concerns tied to ACT’s ownership by the family of former congressman Rodrigo Abellanosa, father of city councilor Jose Abellanosa.

The rejection left ACT students visibly distressed, with some reportedly filmed and posted online without parental consent.

By approving Rama’s resolution without debate, the council stressed that accountability must be pursued, not only to protect minors from exploitation but also to safeguard the integrity of legislative proceedings.

“The recording and online publication of minors’ personal images during a state of distress may constitute unauthorized processing of minors’ personal information under the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and may constitute potential cyber-related offenses when committed through ICT,” Rama, a lawyer by profession, warned in his resolution.

The April 14 incident now moves from the session hall into the hands of investigators, with both the welfare of students and the credibility of governance at stake.

Aside from this move, the council has also scheduled executive sessions next month to hear directly from young learners in Cebu’s mountain barangays, ensuring their voices are formally included in deliberations over the city’s scholarship program. (CEBU NEWS)