Bacolod City Police Director, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, said yesterday that the 509 minors who have been involved in various crimes from January to August this year in the city should be given more attention by the police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Records from the City Police Women’s and Children’s Complaints desk showed that 220 of the minors were apprehended for theft and robbery and 47 for rugby use.

Some minors were also caught for illegal drug and loose gun possession and for involvement in illegal gambling.

There were 83 minors involved in crimes in January, 60 in February, 82 in March, 17 in April, 60 in May, 73 in June, 67 in July, and 67 last month.

De la Paz said some minors agree to be used as illegal drugs and illegal gambling paraphernalia couriers because they know they are shielded by Republic Act 9344, or the law protecting children in conflict with the law.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said there is a need to amend RA 9344 to curb rising crimes committed by minors.

To address this problem, De la Paz said the city police, through the Police Community Relations Office and the WCCD, will conduct more symposiums in the barangays.

He cited as factors why these children to be involved in crimes the influence of their peers and lack of parental guidance.

While the minors are exempted from criminal liabilities, De la Paz stressed that the parents are not spared from civil liabilities if their children get involve in crimes.

Gina Castro, head of the Bacolod City Social Welfare and Development Center who has been a social worker for almost 30 years, noted that children involved in crimes are getting younger and younger.

Castro said minors, aged 15 to 17, caught for various offenses are brought to SDC where they have counseling activities and community services so they will no longer go back to their old ways.

She said minors 14-years-old and below, are immediately brought to their parents or to their relatives, since they cannot be held in a youth center for long under the law.

De la Paz said this is also a problem because once these minors are under the care of their parents or relatives, some are not guided properly and just go back to their old ways.

The Philippine Senate, through the committees on justice and human rights, recently pressed for amendments to RA9344, to make the age limit of minors exempted from criminal liabilities from 15 to 9 years-old.*APN

back to top