Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod has again issued a warning to all disco owners and managers in Laoag City red-light district, popularly known as Discolandia, against hiring minors as employees. The warning came after Laoag City Councilor Modesto Melvin M. dela Cuesta, chair of the committee on human rights, said he discovered that a minor was working as a cashier in one of the disco houses in the said area. Dela Cuesta added that he learned of the hiring of minor during the committee’s re-inspection of all the disco houses’ guest relations officers (GROs) quarters and comfort room on April 24. The committee’s re-inspection stemmed from an earlier inspection of the council’s human rights committee which gave all the disco houses 45 days to improve the living conditions of their employees. The committee also found out during the same inspection that not all disco houses complied with the committee’s directive. Also during the re-inspection, the committee found that a minor—a girl who confessed to be only 14 years old—was working as a cashier in one of the disco houses. As a result of these, Dela Cuesta recommended that all disco houses be given another 20 days to comply with the improvement directive and for the owner of the disco house which was found to have been employing a minor to explain. According o Dela Cuesta, the minor should be immediately placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) pursuant to Executive Order No. 56, series of 1986 and Sec. 28, Art. XI of Republic Act 7610, or the “Act providing stronger deterrence and special protection against child abuse, exploitation and discrimination.” But Councilor Yvonne B. Ranada, who was also the presiding officer during the regular session, contended that anyone who has violated the law should immediately be charged as she explained that in her six years as chairperson of the council’s committee on social services, some owners and managers of disco houses had kept on violating the law. Councilor Vicentito M. Lazo also recommended that Dela Cuesta should execute an affidavit which would serve as the basis in filing appropriate charges against disco owners who had violated the law. Dela Cuesta welcomed the suggestions as he promised to get in touch with the City Prosecutor’s Office for proper action. Meanwhile, Aurora Corpuz, city social welfare and development officer, said they would also be conducting information gathering with regards to the hiring of a minor in the city’s red-light district. However, she said she had been told by the floor manager of the said disco house that the minor temporarily acted as the cashier during the inspection as their regular cashier was reportedly sick. Dominic B. dela Cruz
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