AT LEAST 50 street dwellers were rounded up by local police and personnel from the Cebu City Government during a rescue operation they conducted on Wednesday night, June 22, 2022.The street dwellers that were rescued will be returned to their home provinces once the Cebu City Government is able to determine where they live, said Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).Parilla, who is the CCPO’s deputy director for administration, said they conducted the rescue operation along with personnel from the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team, and City Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Team (Ceset) following orders from Mayor Michael Rama.Perennial problemParilla admitted that some of the street dwellers, particularly minors, had already been rescued in their past operations but returned to the city to beg for alms.At present, street dwellers, some of whom are composed of families, are often found sleeping on the sidewalks or outside abandoned or unoccupied buildings in the city.They are often visible at night when they start scavenging on the streets or begging for alms, Parilla added.Bridges nextParilla said families living under the city’s bridges are the next target of their operations.He said they would also continue to apprehend minors loitering outside during the curfew hours.The curfew for minors is from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. (AYB / TPT)