Council reconciles measure flaws

CEBU, Philippines —  The tri-committee conference has shed light on minimal lapses in procedure surrounding the controversial arrest of 68-year-old street busker Ireneo Selma Vidal by the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Office (CCAMO).

The joint session was convened by the Committee on Senior Citizens, chaired by Councilor Pastor M. Alcover Jr.; the Committee on Public Order, led by Councilor Paul Labra; and the Committee on Social Services, under Councilor Francis Esparis, along with Councilor Mikel Rama of the Committee on Laws and Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, who authored the ordinance on buskers.

Councilors learned that CCAMO had repeatedly reprimanded Vidal, claiming it had issued five prior warnings before deciding to file charges.

However, after being taken into police custody, Vidal was placed in detention before undergoing a medical check-up, a reversal of proper protocol.

“Supposedly, before imprisonment, a medical checkup must be conducted. The procedure was flawed,” Alcover noted.

CCAMO also asserted that Vidal had been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) several times as part of protocol.

DSWS, however, denied officially receiving him.

The committee then asked CCAMO to produce documentation to support its claim.

Alcover earlier also urged CCAMO to line up its personnel so Vidal could identify those who allegedly struck him during his arrest.

“Kay mao man tu gi-ingon ni Tatay, nga kaila siya,” Alcover said, noting that Vidal claimed he was hit near the site of a previous surgical operation.

However, Vidal is reportedly now under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), though his condition still has to be verified.

The conference also raised issues regarding CCAMO’s hiring practices, with personnel reportedly engaged under Job Order contracts without clear qualifications.

Alcover stressed the need for staff with backgrounds in social work and compassion, not mere accommodation based on political affiliations.

Amendments to some provisions of the city’s anti-mendicancy ordinance, originally enacted in 1960 and amended in 1996, to reflect Cebu’s current realities were also discussed.

Alcover also suggested renaming the ordinance to remove its punitive tone, similar to how “squatters” are now referred to as “urban dwellers” and “prisoners” as “persons deprived of liberty.”

“We agreed to sit down and make this an ordinance with compassion, with a humane approach,” he said.

Earlier, Alcover also outlined two ordinances related to the matter: one to establish a community home for neglected senior citizens in mountain barangays, where they could live, garden, and receive support; and another to create a livelihood center offering food support, gardening, handicrafts, and herbal farming.

He further proposed requiring restaurants and businesses to donate unsold but edible food to the center instead of discarding it.

Alcover cautioned against scams exploiting Vidal’s plight, urging donors to channel cash assistance through DSWS and deliver goods directly to City Hall for distribution.

“If ever cash donations, adto nalang sa DSWS. Mo hatag mog goods, pwede ra diri, kami na lang mo dala sa ilang balay,” he said. — Katherine Espina/CNU Intern (FREEMAN)