EDITORIAL - Another great escape

Another batch of patients has decided to “graduate” from Operation Second Chance, that city-run facility located in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City, that detains and rehabilitates juvenile offenders.

By “graduate” we mean escape. This latest batch consisted of at least 17 patients.

According to reports, the patients escaped last Wednesday while their breakfast was being prepared. They are now being sought by authorities.

We understand if one or two try to escape, but 17 at least?

Mentioning all previous escape incidents will take up even more space, so let’s leave that out. Needless to say there must be some reason why patients keep escaping from the facility.

If it isn’t maltreatment --as claimed debunked by the administration of the late mayor Edgardo Labella-- then it must be something else. Perhaps they don’t approve of the food? Perhaps it was the accommodations? Perhaps they don’t approve of the methods being used by their caretakers? Perhaps there is really nothing to do there and they were bored out of their minds?

Perhaps they aren’t being made to appreciate the second chance they are getting?

There must also be some reason they are able to escape quite easily. Allow us to mention one previous escape incident. April of last year 20 of the patients there were able to escape just by rushing the gate and surprising the guard. No sophisticated planning was needed there.

Escapes or escape attempts from facilities like jails are common, but if they occur with the concerning frequency like they do in this facility then something needs to be done.

Until issues about why they are escaping and how they are doing it are addressed we will continue to get reports like these.

While we don’t want to generalize here there is always the chance that today’s delinquents can become tomorrow’s criminals. With the drug problem still being a huge problem we don’t want children going on a path that leads to crime.