DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has urged the city's Special Task Force (STF) to carry out immediate action against "strong resurgence" of crimes involving the youth.
Duterte, in a command conference Wednesday night, told the STF members that he can no longer stand the growing incidents of crimes committed by minors in this city.
He, however, said that he will not be leading an enforcement team but would leave the matter to the STF headed by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Davao Regional Attorney Danilo Cullo, Task Force Davao (TFD) Colonel Oscar Lactao, and Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Rene Aspera.
Opposition
The visibly-irked mayor also renewed his opposition to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 and said he sees lack of police efforts to control youth offenders in the city.
"What I'm trying to say, I am asking the police what happened. But then there is this law, ewan ko bakit ipinasa pa ito (I don't know why this law was passed). Ang mga bata (The minors) they go in and out of prison because of that law that says they cannot be jailed," Duterte said.
He said the law contributed a lot to the increase or "almost anarchy among the young people -- a tendency to commit crime."
"Ang na-erase ng Pangilinan law (What was erased by the Pangilinan law) is the concept of crime and punishment. Crime lang walang punishment. Ang mga bata they go out of prison wala nang respect to the crime they committed. Even if pakonti-konti ito, it can contribute to something more sinister in the future," Duterte said referring to law proponent Senator Francisco Pangilinan.
He admitted his disagreement to the amended provisions of the Revised Penal Code on youth offenders and his anger and dislike to national legislators for passing the law.
"I don't know anong napasok sa utak ni Pangilinan. He copied the Juvenile Offenders Act of the different parts of the States including New York's. New York, which is the trail blazer sa juvenile youth offenders has reverted back into the system of treating young people as criminals, determining by the degree of criminal malice in the reduction of penalties. Ngayon, since si Pangilinan author nito, siya rin ang magtrabaho nito, considering he who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all," he said.
Amendment
Duterte expressed hope that he will be heard by President-apparent Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III in his desire to have the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act amended.
"Maybe this time I can have the ears of somebody there, the ears of the President. He might just also listen to me for once having been the mayor for the longest time, one who has experienced the changing fortunes of our criminal system here in the Philippines," he said.
The mayor urged the police to work with the officials of the barangays to monitor "youth crimes at the ground level."
"I assure every citizen of the city that we will not be overwhelmed by crime. I assure you I will not allow it neither as a mayor nor as a vice mayor," Duterte said.
He also said he will not intervene in the decision making of the STF in its response to his observations, adding that he would want additional funding to be released by the government to finance new measures from the police and military.
Expertise
Cullo, meanwhile, said he would depend on the expertise of the TFD and DCPO on the matter.
"To be discussed pa ang contingency plan. The police and military, they are the ones who are experts on this then I would depend on their expertise. On the intelligence fund to be used for operation, I have no idea, this will still be discussed," he said in an interview after the command conference.
Cullo said the lifting of the Comelec control is not needed to ensure a smooth performance of the police and military.
"As to the lifting of the Comelec control, it's only a matter of few days left before the election period ends. Even if we request for the lifting of the Comelec control baka maabutan na rin na nag-end na ang election period bago pa dumating ang Comelec en banc na decision. So, this Comelec control will have to die a natural death," he said.
Duterte said he would again call for a command conference before his term ends as mayor on June 30 to discuss what he wants to happen before the opening of classes.
Duterte won the vice mayoral seat in the May 10 elections against rival Benjamin C. De Guzman. His daughter, Sara, won the mayoralty race against rival Speaker Prospero Nograles. (Jade C. Zaldivar/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)