Senior Supt. Francisco Uyami, Pasig City chief of police, said they have been receiving numerous complaints from parents and school officials that students usually skip or cut classes to play computer games or surf online at computer shops near their schools.

The latest complaint to reach the police came from Josephine Cruz, Rizal High School school principal, who sought assistance in verifying reports that students were playing truant and found to be in the Internet shops located near the school.

During their inspection conducted during school hours, Uyami confirmed that elementary and high school students – mostly from the Rizal High School and Pasig City Academy – were crowding computer shops in Barangays Kapasigan and Caniogan playing games or simply surfing the net.

"Napakarami naming nakitang mga estudyante sa 16 computer shops na napuntahan namin, numbering from 16 to 45 students in each computer shop, depending on the number of computers," said Uyami, adding that some students even stayed on until midnight.

To support the police call for an ordinance banning the presence of students in computer shops during school hours, Uyami said he is compiling all the complaints of parents and school officials and will bring them to the city council.

Based on the complaints of the parents, the studies of students were greatly affected because they spend more time in these computer shops which are located near their schools instead of attending classes or studying their lessons at home.

Moreover, the complaining parents said, their children spend their allowances playing computer games. Computer shops and cafès charge users from P15 to P25 per hour.

The police chief also said an order to regulate the operating hours and location of computer shops and would help the parents have peace of mind that their children are attending classes.

He cited that computer shops nowadays are target of robbers where they act as customers and later rob, not only shop owners but students of their cell phones and other valuables.