Wednesday, April 02, 2008 City police rues juvenile law anew By Carlo P. Mallo
DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) Director Jaime Morente blamed the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Law of Senator Francis Pangilinan once more as among the reasons in the rapid increase of children in conflict with the law (CICL), as yet another teenage girl was raped by a gang of minors in Matina Aplaya last March 17.
"The minors feel protected by the law, that is why they are aggressive in committing crimes," Morente said in an interview with Sun.Star Davao on Tuesday.
Morente explained that upon the commission of a crime, the police take the minors into custody so as to ensure that no harm will befall upon them.
"Then they will be released back to their parents," Morente added, as this is what the law dictates.
"There must be at least an intervention facility for the offenders," Morente said. But such holding facility is absent in Davao City with a rising population of children at risk of becoming law offenders.
Morente has directed Police Superintendent Matthew Baccay, Talomo Police Precinct chief, to conduct an investigation and to report on the incident.
He added that even if the police cannot detain the offending minors, it is not reason enough for the police not to respond to incidents involving offending minors.
It was said that a group of teenage boys invited the 15-year-old girl to drink liquor with them last March 17, and after the girl got drunk, they raped her.
