Belmonte disagrees with TRO sought on curfew ordinance

MANILA - Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Friday defended their city's curfew ordinance, saying it has actually been effective in curbing the involvement of children in crimes in the city.

"I think it’s been very quiet in Quezon City. I think children are not being used as often to violate the law as what’s happening in the past. For me, I find it very successful and I’m totally, 100% in favor of continuing it," she said.

Belmonte told ANC's Dateline Philippines that she is "very happy" with the way their city ordinance has worked, especially because they previously had children "out on the streets until the wee hours of the morning," but since their strict implementation, the children have been going home by 10 p.m.

A group calling itself "Samahan ng mga Progresibong Kabataan" has asked the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the curfew for minors in Quezon City, Manila, and Navotas.

READ: SC urged to stop curfew in Manila, 2 other cities

The group and several co-petitioners who are residents of these cities urged the high court to strike down the implementation of curfew for being "unconstitutional," and asked for the immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent the local governments of these cities from implementing the assailed ordinances.

Belmonte said, apart from the peace and quiet the curfew has brought the city, it also allowed authorities to remind parents about their role.

"I am not in favor of that TRO. I am very happy with the way this curfew ordinance has been working. It is also an opportunity for us to educate our parents as to their responsibilities to look after their children after specific periods of time," she said.

The ordinance sanctions first-time offenders with P2,000 or 42-hour community service; P3,000 or 72 hours of community service for the second; P5,000 or six-months imprisonment for the third.

But on the fourth offense, "the child is taken away from that family and brought to the Department of Social Welfare," according to Belmonte.

"In the beginning, parents were obviously opposed to it—they were crying, etc. Now that they’re accustomed to the ordinance, they are very cooperative and we have no problem with parents as well," she said.

Belmonte said the ordinance is implemented across the entire city, with no exceptions given to the privileged living in exclusive subdivisions.

"All of them say that they are happy with this, that everyone complies, and generally, peace and order has been better since the ordinance has been strictly implemented," she said.

Belmonte is now eyeing working more closely with private establishments to monitor if there are minors loitering after the set curfew period.