Wednesday, August 08, 2007 8 minors remain in Ma-a city jail By Carlo P. Mallo
SIX minors remain locked up behind bars at the Ma-a City Jail since 2006, while two more were locked up this month, despite the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and the order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to release all minors in jail.
According to Cynthia Umbaña, Social Welfare Officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Southern Mindanao, the six minors have pending cases before the Branch 8 of the Regional Trial Court.
However, Judge Salvador Ibarreta of Branch 8 has been on sick leave and the cases before his sala are being handled by Judge Pelagio Paguican.
Umbaña revealed that the minors have cases varying from theft, frustrated murder, robbery, rape, and violation of the Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
She also revealed that the six minors are still detained at the Ma-a City jail due to some court restraints.
Umbaña said their recommendation to release the minors on cognizance either to the parents or to the custody of the DSWD is already pending with the Branch 6 of the Regional Trial Court.
However, upon her follow-up on the recommendations that they have filed, the court staff simply asked them to file new recommendations. "Nakaligtaan na daw nila ang docs," was the explanation that Umbaña received from the court staff.
Umbaña also revealed that Judge Paguican has also ordered that a court order be issued in favor of the transfer of the minor who violated the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 into a rehabilitation facility.
However, Umbaña alleged that the court staff has not worked on the orders yet.
"The judge will simply have to sign, but the court order has not yet been worked on by his staff," Umbaña said.
Although the number of minors detained has decreased from early this year when there were eleven minors detained despite the retrospective provision of Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act for the suspension of sentences of all minors detained in penal facilities and their immediate release, the addition of two more minors in detention ahs caused alarm with the DSWD.
Early this year, several pleadings made by the DSWD-Southern Mindanao for the release of the minors from the city's penal facility were denied.
