Street gangs in Baguio City criminalized to prevent gang wars

Baguio City, Philippines – The establishment or organization of street gangs and recruitment or inducing minors to join any street gangs and violent gang wars in Baguio City will be penalized.

This is after the city council approved on third reading the “Street Gang Deterrence Ordinance of 2021” authored by Councilors Levy Lloyd Orcales and Betty Lourdes Tabanda.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Baguio in said ordinance describes street gangs as a “formal or informal group/organization/assembly [that] acts or agrees to act in concert to engage in delinquent behavior, commit street gang violence, or instigate community disorder.”

Under the ordinance, apprehended minors (any person below 18 years old) shall undergo intervention programs, which include counseling that shall be participated by the family members/relatives of the apprehended minor, skills training, seminars on values formation, anger management, and participation in available community-based activities, among others.

On the other hand, non-minor individuals apprehended through the ordinance shall be subject to the requirements of due process and shall be fined P5,000.00 or imprisonment of one to 30 days or both at the discretion of the court.

A City Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (CJJWC) will be created to be chaired by the city mayor, Sanggunian’s chairperson of the Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development as the vice-chairperson, and City Social Welfare and Development Officer as the action officer.

The CJJWC shall be tasked to prepare and implement a comprehensive local juvenile intervention program to be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for approval and integration into the annual Local Development Plan for Children.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office shall craft the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the ordinance.

The newly approved ordinance was endorsed for the signing of Mayor Benjamin Magalong.