Saturday, January 05, 2008 Minor remains behind bars By Carlo P. Mallo
THE one and only minor still detained at the Davao City Jail has spent Christmas and New Year there, and still nothing has been done about his case.
Chief Inspector Ferdinand Pontillo, officer in charge of the Davao City Jail, said the minor still remains to be locked up behind bars, even though the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Law prohibits the detention of child-offenders.
The minor has already been in detention, together with the hardened criminals, for more than one and a half month.
The reason why the minor remains to be in detention is that his minority is still being questioned in court. The minor claims to be only 16 years old. He is charged with homicide.
Pontillo added that if the minor will be proven 16 years old, as claimed, he would be turned over to the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth.
Pontillo said the next hearing date of the minor has still not been set.
The Davao City Jail, according to Pontillo, is still awaiting the decision of the judge over the case.
The minor is not part of the previous batches of minors detained at the Davao City Jail which were immediately ordered released upon the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Law last year.
