Yesterday, I chanced upon several boys, probably aging 9 to 15 years old, at downtown Bacolod.
They were no ordinary kids snaking their way among the crowd at the busy streets and sidewalks.
They were sniffing solvents in plastics and bottles.

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What I saw around Central Market area demonstrated that not a single local government agency rounds up these solvent-sniffing kids.
If there is, then it is not consistent in its job.
I wonder how these street children are able to buy solvents despite their obvious intentions, the most common of which is locally called “rugby” used in shoe and upholstery repair.

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Incidentally, last Tuesday, colleague Butch Gasper of GMA Channel 13 Bacolod was also able to video-tape three kids doing the same at downtown.
It was about three rugby-sniffing boys at the vicinity of Centroplex mall.
Similar to what I saw yesterday, the three kids were enjoying the sniff despite the crowd.
People passing by merely looked at them, with mixed emotions.

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Whatever happened to the different city government agencies that were tasked to keep those children off the streets?
Why are those kids able to escape from institutions supposed to take care of them and teach them the ills of illegal drugs and solvents, among others?
Are they given enough sustenance and protection inside such institutions, or are they deliberately allowed to escape?

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We need to have an active program for the street kids.
We must have a team that will immediately herd them off the streets when reports are received about their “sniffing presence.”
Unless we have these at the least, time will come that the sidewalks and corners will be manned 24/7 by kids who are ready to commit crimes just to feed their addictions and hunger.
Backed by the infamous Sen. Kiko Pangilinan law prohibiting the arrest of and filing of criminal charges against minors, they can be as vicious as the hardcore criminals.

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I LIKE SURVEYS ESPECIALLY DONE through broadcast media outlets.
Although since last week I was closely monitoring my colleague and friend Bombo Radyo anchorman Sammy Nuarbe for the results of their network’s surveys, I was able to get a copy.
The copy I got was initially only that for congressman of Bacolod.
Let me quote it, and I will reserve again my comments.
The readers have the final say.

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The “over-all voter preference for congressman of Bacolod” in the Bombo tally, undertaken by RACI for the network involving 1,200 respondents, showed that Renecito Novero got 26.8 percent, John Orola Jr. got 17 pct., Anthony Golez - 15.3, Ricardo Tan - 14.3, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue - 12.1, and Ramon Vicente Fernandez - 1.3.
The undecided was 13.3 pct.

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Voter preference by male voters per the survey result:
Novero 27.2, Golez 17, Orola 16.2, Tan 14, Batapa-Sigue 12.2, Fernandez 1, with 12.5 percent undecided.

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For female voters, 26.3 were for Novero, 17.8 for Orola, 14.7 for Tan, 13.7 for Golez, 12 for Batapa-Sigue, and 1.5 for Fernandez, with 14 still undecided.

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I have also a copy of the results based on age grouping, from 18-21 years old, 22-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 above.
I will also feature them here next.
You, the readers can make your own assessment.*