ILOILO City — More than 1,300 minors have been pulled away from potentially dangerous situations on Western Visayas roads since July as police intensify a campaign against underage motorcycle driving, reckless road behavior and curfew violations.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said 1,312 minors have been intercepted and safeguarded under Oplan Sagip Bata, a weekend enforcement campaign launched following concerns over youth involvement in vehicular accidents raised during a Regional Peace and Order Council meeting.
The figure underscores what police described as a growing road safety concern involving minors, particularly students who operate motorcycles despite being too young to legally obtain licenses and lacking the necessary training to drive safely.
Since its launch, the PRO-6 has conducted 1,096 weekend operations across Western Visayas, focusing on road safety compliance, illegal driving and enforcement of local curfew ordinances.
PRO-6 regional director Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said the campaign’s success should not be measured merely by the number of minors intercepted but by the potential tragedies prevented.
“More than the data, more than the figures, we are looking into how many children were saved in this activity,” Tuaño stated.
Rather than relying heavily on punishment, police issued formal educational warnings to around 70 percent of the youth and motorists found violating regulations, reflecting the campaign’s emphasis on education and prevention.
A major concern driving Oplan Sagip Bata is the unauthorized use of motorcycles by students.
While motorcycles have become an affordable and accessible means of transportation for many families in Western Visayas, Tuaño stressed that minors do not have the legal age, proper training or licenses required to operate them safely.
Weekend operations are strategically conducted along major thoroughfares in coordination with barangay officials.
Among the violations recorded during the operations were reckless imprudence resulting in injury and violations of local ordinances imposing curfews on minors.
The campaign relies on existing city and municipal ordinances and also serves as PRO-6’s localized response to the broader Safer Cities Initiative being pushed by Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Philippine National Police chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.
PRO-6 said Oplan Sagip Bata is beginning to draw attention outside Western Visayas.
Police regional offices elsewhere in the country have started coordinating with PRO-6 to study the campaign’s operational framework for possible adoption in their respective areas.
The growing interest could turn the Western Visayas initiative into a model for preventing youth-related road tragedies nationwide./PN
