10-year-old boy kills playmate over math

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 04/12/2012 7:43 PM | Updated as of 04/13/2012
12:55 PM
MANILA, Philippines A 10-year-old boy has been accused
of killing his 7-year-old playmate in Potrero, Malabon last
Monday, April 9.
The victims father Mark Ala said his son was playing with 2
others outside their home on Chico Road when the incident
happened.
Ala said the children were role playing as teacher-students
when the suspect, Jerome (not his real name), lost his
temper because he wasnt able to answer a multiplication
problem.

However, the neighbors said Jerome acted strangely and

scared, leading them to suspect that he was the one who
shot the boy.
The victim was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead
on arrival.
The victims family has sought help from the National Bureau
of Investigation Division to investigate the case.
Jerome and his grandfather, who is reportedly a police
officer from Caloocan, have not returned to their home
since the incident. -- Report from Maan Macapagal, ABSCBN News
The Filipino child is not dispensable
'The best investment any nation can make, to secure a

The 7-year-old victim acted as the groups teacher.

brighter future, is to invest in its youth'

Sabi ng anak ko, 2 times 2? Hindi nasagot [ng suspek], sabi

nung isang kalaro, Eh, bobo ka naman pala, said Ala.

Amber Koonce

Jerome then allegedly went home and got a gun.

When Jerome returned to his playmates, he allegedly shot
the victim in the head.
Neighbors immediately went outside their homes after
hearing the gunshot, thinking the victim was hit by a stray
bullet.

Published 5:39 PM, November 27, 2012

Updated 5:39 PM, Nov 27, 2012

I consider the 2006 Act arguably to be one of the most

progressive, triumphant stances this nation has taken on
behalf of its most vulnerable members.
Prior to the passage of this Act, children as young as 9 were
legislatively susceptible to the same judgment and
punishment as adults. Many were imprisoned with adults
raped, tortured, starved, and abused. Some of these abuses
were highlighted in the Ditsi Carolino documentary, " Bunso."
Many of those who support the amendment are concerned
children are increasingly being used by syndicates to commit
crimes, and believe that incarcerating these children will
MANILA, Philippines - This week, the Senate prepares to
vote on House Bill No. 6052 which will lower the age of
criminal liability in the nation from 15 to 12 years old.
With the absence of a juvenile justice system, this means
that children in conflict with the law (CICLs) as young as 12
will be susceptible to the same judgment and punishment
under the law as 30- and 40-year-olds.
This bill will amend Republic Act 9433 or the Juvenile
Justice Act passed in 2006. RA 9433 sets 15 as the age for
criminal liability. It also prescribes other rehabilitative
measures to help reform the behavior of youth who engage
in crime and assist their integration in society as responsible
citizens.

deter syndicates from conspiring with them.

I would argue there is an issue deeper than the involvement
of syndicates. This is an issue of values, and how much we
value this nations children and their futures. As fiercely as
we stand for the lives and futures of the unborn, so should
we stand for the futures of children after their birth. Even
if you label the little Juan "The Problem" and throw "The
Problem" behind bars, one truth will remain: The Filipino
child is not dispensable.
Joshua's story
Children in poverty fight to traverse a dangerous landscape
every day.

Children do not select their families. Children are unable to

At the end of his 3-month commitment, Joshua was

choose where they live and what kind of education they can

dismayed when his boss paid him only P3,500 and refused to

afford. Children do not have the ability to decide on their

pay him the promised income. With the weight of supporting

socio-economic status. But when they step inside a

his siblings on his shoulders, desperation and rage seared his

courtroom, the consequences from all of these variables

heart.

come weighing down on their shoulders with the swift stroke

of a gavel. This is the end result of a life with little-to-no
options that many CICLs faced before 2006.
Last week, I interviewed a young Filipino boy named Joshua
from Barangay Batasan Hills. His story put a face on just
how bright the futures of our Filipino youth are when they
are given the chance to change when we invest in their
potential with communal support, rehabilitation, and
opportunity.
Joshua is a soft-spoken, kind, sweet, and generous boy. The
eldest, Joshua works several jobs to help with the finances.
Abandoned by his birth father, instead of going to school,
Joshua helps his stepfather with waste picking. It was
among the mounds of waste that Joshua was befriended by
boys who introduced him to theft.
Joshua explained that when he was offered the chance to
make an honest living by working at a car shop, he jumped at
the opportunity and was promised P10,500 for 3 months of
labor. Excited about his new income, Joshua exerted all of
his time, energy, and effort for his new boss.

Joshua had been cheated.

With no adults to advocate for him, Joshua took matters
into his own hands and stole two car parts to trade in for
additional money. He was caught in the act.
Under the 2006 juvenile code, Joshua was paired with a
social worker, linked to a barangay mentor, served a month in
a youth home, enrolled in an Alternative Learning program,
and completed 45 hours of community service that changed
his life for the better.
Discernment vs. desperation
Joshuas story personalizes who will be affected if this
amendment is approved. The amendment says, A child above
twelve years old to fifteen years of age shall likewise be
exempt from criminal liabilityHowever, if the child has
acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be
subjected to appropriate proceedings in accordance with
this Act.

When Joshua stole the car parts he knew that what he was

encourage them to value their own futures, thus becoming

doing was wrong. Joshua had discernment, so under the new

valuable contributors to the nation.

bill he would have been punished as an adult.

However, what is also evident in Joshuas case is that a lack
of options due to poverty, exploitation, and the absence of
adult support, left him in a desperate situation.
Morals become hazy in moments of desperation. Through the
full implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006,
support, rehabilitation, and access to education mitigate the
desperate circumstances many CICLs face, so that they can

Communal support
Another former CICL Francis Francisco from Barangay
Bagbag in Novaliches, is another example of the
transformative power of mentors and communal support.
When Francis was 17 he had a murder case filed against him.
Although the case was eventually dropped due to lack of
evidence, a local church reached out to Francis who was

seize positive opportunities.

deeply steeped in a hopeless life of drugs and crime.

Invest in the youth

The pastor of the church was also a former CICL, and under

The best investment any nation can make, to secure a

his mentorship Francis submitted his life to Christ.

brighter future, is to invest in its youth.

Although Francis tattoos prevent him from securing a job,

The Philippines has an undeniable love for children. Early in

and serving as a mentor for other at-risk youth in his

October, President Benigno Aquino III highlighted this

commitment by establishing Juvenile Justice and Welfare
Consciousness Week. However aside from a groundswell of
consciousness, we need a groundswell of investment.
We need mentors, barangay leaders, social workers, and
political leaders, who are willing to invest their time, talents,
and energy into providing support and guidance to help
reform our children in conflict with the law. Doing so will

he fills his time singing with the worship team at his church,
community.
I know that not all children in conflict with the law will be
success stories like Joshua and Francis, but I believe it is
worth fighting for the futures of children who do have the
capacity to change.
Jail is not the answer
The Filipino child is not dispensable.

Prison sentences are finite but their effects aren't. Our

communities will eventually have to face these broken
children when they are released back into society as broken
adults. Rehabilitation is not the goal of a prison cell.
We need to move forward with the full implementation of
the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006 to ensure that the core
needs of CICLs are addressed. These children need to be
reformed and reintegrated as productive citizens.
Criminal acts cost the Philippines unknown millions of pesos
in incarceration costs, and bring lost human capital, lost
talent, lost labor, and losses to victims.
Rehabilitative measures for our youth, as established under
the original Juvenile Justice Act of 2006, have the potential
to restore these millions to the public sphere. Allow this
potential to be realized. - Rappler.com

Over the past 5 years, Amber has worked with incarcerated

juveniles in detention centers located in Ghana, Scotland,
and the United States. She is now working under the
Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation as a Luce scholar,
forwarding the rehabilitation of children in conflict with the
law in the Philippines.
KRUSADA: Juvenile Delinquency
By Nathalie Blanco, Multimedia Producer, Krusada

Posted at 11/21/2011 7:10 PM | Updated as of 11/23/2011

11:31 AM
Anchor: Henry Omaga-Diaz
Juvenile Delinquents: These children put up a face that
brings fear and a sense of defiance. In return, society
denounces them with intense aversion, forgetting that they
are children who are just in need of greater guidance.
Formally, a Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL) is a person
who at the time of the commission of the offense is below
eighteen years old but not less than 15 years and one day
old.
In this Krusada episode, Henry Omaga Diaz posited
imperative questions: Are the Children in Conflict with the
Law considered as young criminals or are they actually
victims of society? Should they undergo the Criminal Justice
System like the rest? How does the government respond to
children who have committed serious crimes?
More importantly, what can we do to help them?
According to the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), there are more than 2,600 juvenile
delinquency cases reported in 2009. A year later, the
number reduced to 1,200. However, DSWD claims that there
are still many unreported cases in the country.
Restorative Justice for Youth Offenders

Gab always takes off his shirt and shows off his tattoos
for everyone to see the signs of his strength; when in
truth, he only had himself inked out of peer pressure.

He says that the Rock, rehabilitation centres for youth

offenders, could not help him. He does not like it there
despite admitting that it allows him to eat well, bathe and
study. He comes back to normal every time he comes out
how he prefers to live.

Henry Omaga-Diaz interviews Gab and his friend

At 16 years old, he has gone in and out of rehabilitation
centres; even the city jail once, for committing burglary,
marijuana and solvent abuse and theft numerous times.
Every night, he hangs out with his group of fellow youth
offenders to smoke and pickpocket. At three in the morning,
they break into houses. In three to five minutes, he says he
could steal money, mobile phones and jeweleries. He had
constant practice since ten years old.
His biggest single loot was P3,000. It is more than enough to
buy some solvent or marijuana for him and his friends. The
one-day millionaire uses the instant cash to buy drugs that
help them forget their problems.

Gab flaunts his tatoos on the streets so passers by would fear

him
Aurora Flores of the Philippines Mental Health Association
in Dumaguete believes that youth offenders have mental
health issues and reiterates that such is not just the
absence of mental illness.
The concept of right and wrong among youth offenders is
vague or erroneous; leading to their low self-control. In the
long run, their values become distorted, allowing them to
commit crimes without feeling guilty.
Central Visayas has the most number of CICL cases since
2009 according to DSWD. Two in the list of youth offenders

in Region 7 are Troy, found guilty of frustrated homicide

at age 17; and Anjo, committed arson at eight years old.
Troy played with toy guns as a child and accidentally fired a
pistol at his uncles enemy during the physical conflict that
involved the adults. On the other hand, Anjo was bullied and
made to follow orders of older children which led him to
burn a local chapel.

In cases like these, non-government foundations like PREDA

Foundation, Inc. respond to the problem. Under the
leadership of Father Shay Cullen, the New Dawn Boys Home
reintegrates values among the children for them to shun
away from delinquency.
The importance of re-acceptance of family and society is
also addressed.

Brenda Vigo, Executive Director of the Council for the

Welfare of Children, says that these children are victims of
dysfunctional families, communities and poverty. That is why
they should not be treated as criminals and be allowed to
undergo the Criminal Justice System.

In the New Dawn Boys Home, rehabilitation starts with the

Emotional Release Therapy to resolve a childs problems and
pains. It is gradually followed by sports activities and skills
training such as carpentry, mechanics, agriculture and
computer literacy.

Republic Act 9344 prohibits imprisonment as it will only

subject the children into more harm than good. A
Restorative Justice System is observed where their
personal issues can be discussed and conflict can be
resolved. Through it, a child is said to realize that what he
did is wrong without causing him to rebel more.

All Hope Lost?

There are 16 rehabilitation centres in the Philippines at

present.
Delinquency Prevention Program
The law states that local government units (LGU) should allot
budget for homes and counselors as part of the Delinquency
Prevention Program, like in the example of Bayawan City,
Negros Oriental. However, may LGUs do not adhere to this.

Gab continues to blame his only familyhis aunt Susan

who took him from his parents who are both drug addicts
with the hope of saving the child from having the same fate.
On the other hand, Susan blames Gabs barkada of being a
bad influence; making it hard for the child to get out of the
life he now lives. She has started to lose faith that Gab can
still change.
While he dreams to have his own family, Gab says that he
wants to die early and does not believe he will reach 30
years old. He further said that he has lost all hope in his
future.November 17, 2011