Police 'brutality' mars Subic street kids' camp

OLONGAPO CITY -- Local officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) decried yesterday the alleged manhandling of seven street children by two city policemen during the three-day Fun Games and Summer Camp sponsored by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) at the Remy Field.

Edna Manalo, head social worker of the DSWD's Lingap Home for the Girls, said the seven children were on their way to the center when they were accosted by policemen in uniform at the Olongapo night market near the Subic Freeport exit. She identified them as SPO1 Joseph Felicitas and a certain SPO1 Bacolor.

"Despite the pleas and explanation of the two house parents who were accompanying the kids, Felicitas and Bacolor pushed the children into boarding the police car. Some of them suffered bruises as a result of that harassment," Manalo said.

Leo Samawang, 13, was even handcuffed after attempting to run away. Manalo said: "Paanong hindi tatakbo eh hinahabol nila. May trauma na yung bata dahil sa past experiences niya sa mga pulis (The boy surely ran because they were chasing him. The boy has a trauma because of his past experiences with policemen)."

She lamented that the boy is under rehabilitation and counseling. "Di na siguro dapat ipinosas (They should not have handcuffed him)," she said.

The city government has a regular saturation drive for minors aged 17 and below, to keep them away from the streets after 10 p.m.. This is mandated by a resolution passed by the city council many years ago.

Children's rights lawyer Manuel Rosapapan, who negotiated the release of the children, said the camping activity has been coordinated properly with the police.

"This is a big event because it is being participated in by some 300 street and urban working children all over Central Luzon. There's even a schedule of events forwarded to Senior Inspector Danilo Empedrad who sits in our regular working committee meetings," he said.

When interviewed, Chief Inspector Jose Domingo, the city police chief, said he apologized to the DSWD officials "for the inconvenience his (policemen) caused them."

"Immediately upon learning of the incident, I ordered Felicitas and Bacolor to write their separate letters of explanation which should be on my table within 48 hours," he said.

Domingo said that if they fail to give a satisfactory explanation, he will exercise his prerogative to suspend them "for 15 days, without pay."