THE Valenzuela City government has declared at least 13 local street gangs as ‘persona non grata’ (a person who is unwelcome or unacceptable) in a bid to effectively address the reported rampant cases of street gang-related violence involving minors and their illegal activities in the city.
At the same time, Mayor Wes Gatchalian issued a stern warning on existing street gangs to better dismantle their groups as the city police force has intensified its operations against them.
Those declared persona non grata were True Brown Style (TBS), Little Brown Style (LBS), Temple St. (TST), BB Hood, NVC ISD Hood, PMC Hood, Nortenos Loccos, Deathrow Hood Valenzuela Locos, Varrio Latino, TST – Rosario Hood, TBS – Disiplina Village Lingunan, Piru Hood and Original Trouble Maker Gang (OTM).
Gatchalian told Good Riddance that the city council has passed a resolution authored by Councilor Ghogo Deato-Lee to carry out the declaration of persona non grata on the street gangs to support the Ordinance 1262 or the ‘Anti-Gang Measure.’
The move was made in time for the opening of the school classes wherein these street gangs have been involved in illegally recruiting minors and causing havoc or disturbance in the peace and order in the city.
The local government, the mayor said, intends to engage in massive information dissemination particularly in all schools – public and private – in the city to “make everyone aware.”
“This would also help in reminding the students to prevent themselves from being associated with any street gangs or partaking in any illegal activities, particularly physical and sexual violence.”
The city police cited the common reasons why such gangs recruited minors and conducted some of their gruesome initiation rites which was a cause of concern for the safety of the youth.
The city council said that penalties await any person who violates the ordinance with the maximum amount of P5, 000 for the succeeding offenses.
A provision of the ordinance also states that should any offender fail to comply with his/her obligations, a filing of a case in the court may ensue and upon conviction thereof, he/she may be punished by a fine of P1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both.
