Iloilo City back to shorter curfew hours for minors

By John Noel E. Herrera

The Iloilo City government has eased the curfew for minors that was imposed at the height of the pandemic lockdowns.

From the stricter 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., the curfew reverted the shorter hours of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

This, after the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), during its regular session on Wednesday, Oct 12, 2022, amended Regulation Ordinance 2011-676, or Curfew for Minors, to return to its original shorter hours.

Councilor Leila Luntao, who sponsored the previous amendment to the ordinance, said that the previous longer curfew hours were based on the request of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Trenas following incidents involving minors and to avoid the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The ordinance was first amended in 2020, during the surge of the pandemic, to “limit non-essential movement of minors” and to anchor it with the implementation of stricter safety and health protocols during that time.

The SP also said that the reimplementation of the original shorter curfew hours for minors is effective immediately.

Minors who will still be found loitering beyond curfew hours will be brought to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

The city government even told local authorities to strictly enforce the curfew hours and coordinate with barangay officials to improve security at public plazas and other areas in the city.

The curfew for minors was originally implemented a few years back to address cases of late-night ruckuses that mostly involved minors and prevent other crimes from happening.