The city’s worsening problem on streetchildren and Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) were the main topic during the first meeting of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) last February 13, 2008.

City Social Welfare and Development Officer Nida Aroza said that her office is currently handling 22 CICLs aged 11 to 19 years old and 21 streetchildren aged 5 to 12 years old. Aroza further disclosed that they have more difficulty in giving the necessary intervention to CICLs aged 15 years and below. Moreover, the lack of any parental guidance and the harsh street environment also drive the streetchildren to engage in minor crimes.

PS/Insp Emmanuel Arteche, PNP’s representative, revealed that their hands are often tied when it comes to dealing with minor offenders because they are protected by RA 9344. Republic Act 9344, also known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, states that any individual aged 15 years and below at the time that the crime was committed shall be “exempt from criminal liability.”

Inspector Arteche also said that past attempts to arrest minors to discipline them have been criticized by human rights advocates using RA 9344 as their referrence. The current law dictates that apprehended minors be immediately turned over to their parents, guardian or a social worker. However, council members noted that this procedure has instead caused street children and other minor offenders to become more brazen in committing crimes.

Whereas the said law aimed at protecting children, council members also noted that this purpose is defeated when once released, minor offenders go back to their respective communities where they are more exposed to even graver crimes.
Upon the suggestion of City Prosecutor Carlos Daiz, the council has agreed to submit necessary data to the DSWD National Office in support of a move to ammend RA 9344 by lowering the age limit exemptedfrom criminal arrest from 15 to as low as 12 years old.

Aside from this, other interventions being done by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) include counselling for minors, dialogue with parents and giving of livelihood and educational assistance to families.
Aroza also reported that the CSWDO has agreed to enter into a partnership with the International Justice Mission (IJM) to conduct capability building trainings for members of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) in select barangays of Catbalogan City.

IJM, a Manila-based NGO with a satellite office in Calbayog City, paid a courtesy call at the City Hall last February 9 to talk about their organization’s services. Although they cater mainly to child victims of trafficking, they have identified the reactivation of special bodies such as the BCPC as a way of addressing a wide scope of children’s concerns including child abuse, streetchildren and CICL.

The trainings for the select BCPCs are slated for March. The CSWDO have identified four barangays to undergo these trainings namely Canlapwas, Guinsorongan and Mercedes – which are Early Child Care Development (ECCD) areas – and Brgy. 13 Poblacion which was identified as where most of the streetchildren and CICLs came from.

It was also during this meeting that IJM Project Coordinator Janette Bragais-Borac had recommended to the CSWDO the keeping of records to be submitted to the DSWD Regional Office for thier assistance in establishing a shelter for this city.

This was after Aroza identified the lack of a decent shelter as one of the problems of their office. She had also shared this same predicament during the LCPC meeting. This means that there is no appropriate place where minor victims and offenders may be housed or rehabilitated.

Aroza further explained said that a shelter located in the city would be more convenient compared to the current procedure of sending rescued minors to the shelter in Tacloban City which asks for a lot of documentary requirements before admitting victims.