Mar wants juvenile facility in every city, province
By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com) |
Updated May 5, 2014 - 4:20pm
MANILA,
Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas has
called on all provincial governors and mayors of highly urbanized cities
to build a juvenile facility in their respective areas.
Roxas said he wants to ensure the implementation of Republic Act No.
9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, particularly the
establishment of a Bahay Pag-Asa, or a 24-hour child caring institution
providing short-term residential care for children in conflict with the
law (CICL).
CICL are those who are above 15 but below 18 years of age who are
awaiting court disposition of their cases or transfer to other agency or
jurisdiction.
Roxas said that under RA 9344, whenever detention is necessary, a
CICL should always be detained in youth detention homes established by
the local government.
The law provides that every province and highly urbanized city shall
be responsible for building, funding and operating a Bahay Pag-Asa
within their respective jurisdictions following the standards set by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development, and adopted by the
Juvenile Justice Welfare Council (JJWC), he said. Youth detention homes may also be established by private and NGOs
licensed and accredited by the DSWD, in consultation with the JJWC.
To date, Roxas said that a considerable number of CICL are still
confined in Bureau of Jail and Management (BJMP)-manned jails
nationwide. This is because some judges continue to issue commitment orders for
the confinement of CICL in jails due to the failure of local governments
to build youth detention facilities, he added. From 1995 to 2000 alone, over 50,000 children have been in conflict
with the law, according to the Council for the Welfare of Children. Data
indicate that the crimes most CICL commit include petty theft, sniffing
of glue or solvents, vagrancy and violation of curfew hours.
Among the local governments that had already established their own
Bahay Pag-Asa are the provinces of Abra, Kalinga and the cities of
Bacolod and Valenzuela, to name a few.
In the absence of youth detention home, Roxas said a child in
conflict with the law may be committed to the care of the DSWD or a
local rehabilitation center recognized by the government in the
province, city or municipality within the jurisdiction of the court. The center or agency concerned, he noted, shall be responsible for the child’s appearance in court whenever required. The law requires youth rehabilitation centers to provide 24-hour
group care, treatment and rehabilitation services under the guidance of a
trained staff where residents are cared for under a structured
therapeutic environment.
(Portions of Text highlighted by Lasallian Pag-asa)
