Oplan Sagip Bata reaches 1,312 Western Visayas minors
By Jennifer P. Rendon
By Jennifer P. Rendon
ILOILO CITY — Police Regional Office 6 said its Oplan Sagip Bata program has intervened in cases involving 1,312 minors in Western Visayas since its launch in July 2026.
Police classified 877 of the interventions as traffic-related and 256 as involving other local ordinance violations.
The report did not specify the classifications of the remaining 179 minors.
Oplan Sagip Bata is a localized law enforcement and community initiative created to protect the safety, rights and welfare of minors.
Police have conducted 1,096 weekend operations since the program began.
Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño, Western Visayas police chief, said the proactive public safety campaign was developed following reports of a high number of motorcycle-related crashes involving minors.
“We conceptualized Oplan Sagip Bata in a bid to lessen the number of vehicular incidents involving minors,” he said.
Tuaño said the initiative goes beyond figures because it focuses on protecting minors from vehicle crashes.
The Antique Police Provincial Office recorded the highest number of traffic-related interventions involving minors at 281.
The Aklan Police Provincial Office followed with 160, while the Iloilo Police Provincial Office recorded 154.
The Capiz Police Provincial Office recorded 127, followed by the Guimaras Police Provincial Office with 96 and the Iloilo City Police Office with 59.
Tuaño said police had been lenient in imposing penalties on the minors.
About 70% of the minors were released after receiving warnings.
Tuaño said the program’s primary approach is preventive and proactive.
Police conduct the operations along major roads and coordinate with barangay officials to ensure proper implementation.
The campaign uses city and municipal ordinances as its legal basis.
Oplan Sagip Bata is anchored on the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Safer Cities initiative, a nationwide program launched in April 2026 to strengthen police visibility, enforce local ordinances and promote community-based public safety.
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