RP's Juvenile Justice Law, A Headache Says Mayor As Killings Continue In Davao

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 04 Mar) – Local mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday blamed the Philippines’ Juvenile Justice Law for the rising street crimes involving minors.

The law, authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan, prohibits children, ages 15 years and below, who committed crimes, to be incarcerated until they reach 18 years old.

Instead the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) takes custody of the young offenders, but the government has no enough facilities to keep the children out of the street.

Duterte said the law caused “headaches and problems” because offenders freely roam despite their criminal cases or charges against them.

“Some members of the judiciary and local government units in the country had observed the rise of street crimes after the passage of the law, he said.

Duterte urged lawmakers to amend the law, saying, it has many flaws. "Because of this law, teenagers who commit crimes are immediately released by the police,” he said.

The party list group, Kabataan, said many minors who committed crimes had been executed in Davao City and urged the DSWD to do something about the safety of street children.

Karla hyasmind Apat, the group’s vice president for Mindanao, said it is DSWD’s responsibility to ensure an efficient program in keeping the minors out of the streets.

”The DSWD has remained silent on the issue of minors being executed in the city. This is a systemic problem. If the government fails to address the basic social services needs of the people, more and more children will be pushed out of school and be involved in anti-social activities," Apat told the Mindanao Examiner.

Apat said blamed the government for failing to address juvenile delinquency in the country.

"Before criminalizing the youth offenders, the government must get to the bottom of delinquency which is the crisis on education and poverty," she said.

Apat did not say who were behind the killing of the children or whether it was connected to gang war or summary executions.

Hundreds of criminals and people with police records had been executed the past years in Davao City. Families and relatives of those killed have implicated the authorities. (Romy Bwaga and Juan Magtanggol)