Naglabas na ng bagong cease and desist order (CDO) ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) laban sa Gentle Hands Orphanage sa Quezon City.
Bunga ito ng pagbawi ng BFP sa fire safety inspection certificate (FSIC) ng naturang pasilidad matapos lumabas sa pag-iinspeksyon ang maraming violation ng ampunan kabilang ang kawalan ng fire exits, automatic detection at alarm system; at emergency evacuation plan na delikado para sa mga bata.
Ayon kay DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian, seryoso ang mga paglabag ng naturang child care facility na naglalagay sa alanganin sa mga batang kinakanlong nito.
“Given the serious fire safety violations of the care facility, and pursuant to the authority, regulatory powers, and responsibility for the exercise of the mandate of DSWD to assist in the protection of the rights of children from all forms of danger, neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation and other conditions prejudicial to their development…the undersigned hereby orders Gentle Hands Inc. to Cease and Desist from further operations pending an investigation by the DSWD for a maximum period of 20 days,”
Una nang ipinahinto ng DSWD ang operasyon ng GHI noong Mayo dahil sa overcrowding o sobrang siksikan sa bahay ampunan, kawalan ng kalinisan, at kakulangan sa social worker o house parent.
Samantala, pormal namang naghain ng
kasong kidnapping ang nanay na si Melanie Marzan laban kay GHI Executive Director Charity Graff.
Nag-ugat naman ito sa reklamo ni Nanay Melanie matapos ayaw bitawan ng Gentle Hands ang kanyang anak kahit na ‘temporary custody’ lang ang naging kasunduan noon.
“According to my lawyer, in the Supreme Court case of People vs. Marquez, the crime of Kidnapping and failure to return a minor, as defined in Article 270 of the Revised Penal Code, has two (2) essential elements, namely: (1) The offender is entrusted with the custody of a minor person; and (2) The offender deliberately fails to restore the said minor to his parents or guardians,” Marzan sa kanyang affidavit complaint.
Sa tulong ng DSWD-NCR, nabigyan ng Parental Capability Assessment Report si Nanay Melanie at nabawi na rin ang isang taong gulang na anak noong May 26. | ulat ni Merry Ann Bastasa
