ILOILO City – Police flagged 273 minors for traffic-related concerns across Western Visayas in just one day, with Iloilo accounting for more than a third of the cases, underscoring the extent of road-safety risks involving children in the region.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said 276 operations were conducted under Oplan Sagip Bata on September 13, resulting in 195 minors being warned and 78 issued corresponding traffic fines.
Iloilo posted the highest number with 102 minors, or about 37 percent of the regional total.
It was followed by Aklan with 42 minors, Capiz with 38, Antique with 36, Iloilo City with 32, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 with 15, and Guimaras with eight.
PRO-6 Regional Director PBGen Randulf T. Tuaño said the campaign goes beyond enforcing traffic regulations and seeks to prevent children from being placed in potentially dangerous situations on the road.
“Our focus is really on safety. When we see minors exposed to traffic risks, we have to act early, remind them of the rules, and make sure the adults responsible for them also understand the importance of keeping them safe. Enforcement is part of it, but guidance and prevention are equally important,” Tuaño said.
The operations are part of PRO-6’s broader Safer Cities Initiative, which seeks to increase police visibility, encourage responsible road use and strengthen engagement with communities before unsafe behavior results in more serious incidents.
Tuaño said police would sustain the campaign as PRO-6 intensifies community-based efforts to protect vulnerable sectors, particularly children.
The large number recorded in a single day also highlights the role of parents, guardians and other responsible adults in ensuring that minors understand and follow road-safety rules.
PRO-6, however, did not specify the particular traffic violations involved in the 273 cases.
It was also unclear whether the 78 fines were issued directly to the minors, their parents or guardians, or other responsible adults.
Details on the violations would help determine the most common road-safety risks involving minors and guide authorities and communities in targeting preventive measures./PN
