'Lolo' nabbed for begging reunites with grandson; probe underway

Local

THE tight embrace between 68-year-old Ireneo Selma Vidal and his three-year-old grandson became one of the most emotional images to emerge this week from a case that has now sparked investigations.

After days in detention, Vidal returned home and was immediately met by the child he said he had been trying to feed when authorities arrested him on Colon Street, Cebu City on May 7.

The elderly man, clutching his grandson in tears, had just been released after Cebu City Councilor Jun Alcover posted bail for him.

Vidal had been apprehended by personnel of the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Office for allegedly violating the city’s anti-mendicancy ordinance.

But Vidal insisted he was not begging.

He said he was simply playing the harmonica in public while accepting small donations so he could buy food for the child under his care.

The case has since triggered public debate over how Cebu City implements anti-mendicancy operations, particularly involving senior citizens and vulnerable individuals.

The controversy deepened after allegations surfaced that Vidal was physically harmed during his arrest.

John Ryan Lumayag, executive director of the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Office, said his office would investigate the claims, including accusations that personnel punched the elderly man.

“Of course, mag-conduct ta og investigation,” Lumayag said.

He maintained, however, that no formal report or evidence had yet been submitted to support the allegations.

“I-deny nato ang allegation unless naay concrete evidence,” he said.

He added that any personnel proven to have violated rights would face dismissal.

Lumayag also defended the enforcement action, saying Vidal had allegedly been apprehended several times before for similar incidents.

“More than five times na siya nadakpan ug naturn-over sa DSWS,” he said, referring to the Department of Social Welfare and Services.

According to Lumayag, imprisonment was only used after repeated warnings and interventions allegedly failed.

“Last resort na gyud unta ang imprisonment,” he said.

Alcover, chairman of the Cebu City Council committee on senior citizens, said he would initiate a council investigation into both the arrest and the alleged maltreatment.

“Karon ra ko nakabalo nga gidapatan diay ni siya. Atong ipa-identify kung kinsa,” he said.

The councilor also questioned the prevailing mindset behind some anti-mendicancy operations.

“Sayop ang orientation nga kung naay hipos, dakop dayon,” Alcover said. “Ang mindset dapat tabangan.”

He said he was particularly concerned because Vidal is already a senior citizen caring for a young child.

City officials cited Cebu City Ordinance No. 1631 and Presidential Decree No. 1563, or the Anti-Mendicancy Law, as basis for the arrest.

Lumayag argued that the law does not exempt senior citizens from liability.

However, provisions of the city ordinance also state that mendicants aged 60 and above who are sick or infirm should be turned over to social welfare authorities and committed to proper institutions.

The ordinance, originally crafted to address public nuisance, sidewalk congestion, and traffic hazards linked to street begging, also mandates coordination between social welfare offices and law enforcement agencies.

As investigations proceed, the case has placed renewed attention on how local authorities balance law enforcement with humanitarian considerations, especially in cases involving poverty, old age, and child care.(TGP)