01:30In Metro Manila and other parts of the country, emphasizing rehabilitation and guidance over punitive approaches.
01:38Nartates made the remark following a May 2 incident involving minors along the Alabang Zapote Road in Barangay Almanza Uno,
01:46Las Minas City,
01:47where a viral video showed youth allegedly attempting to board and harass passengers.
01:55Reports said one of the minors was carrying an ice pick.
01:59Police responded to the scene and located eight minors who were later turned over to barangay officials and referred to
02:05the DSWD for intervention in line with child protection protocols.
02:10Initial investigation showed the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding after a jeepney driver refused to take in the passengers.
02:19Authorities said no injuries or property damage were reported.
02:24Nartates said police commanders have been directed to initiate dialogue with LGUs and the DSWD to address similar cases in
02:32their respective jurisdiction.
02:33He also underscored the need to involve parents, noting that repeated delinquent behavior among minors is often linked to lack
02:43of supervision at home.
02:45So, on the ground is Sunsler Correspondent 3rd Ann Malonzo, and she will tell us the details of this incident.
02:543rd, good afternoon.
02:57Yes, good afternoon, sir DJ.
03:00Yes, sige. So, given this particular incident, I gathered actually that under the Philippine system, it recognizes only one thing,
03:10and then a child who commits a crime is still a child first.
03:14So, what is the PNP trying to address with this push for stronger intervention programs for minors?
03:23Actually, doon nga sa sinasabi na they're coordinating, they're exploring ways para maging mas stronger yung cooperation, coordination with LGUs
03:35and the DSWD.
03:37Kasi, they want yung may ginagawa yung mga kabataan, lalo ngayon, bakasyon, walang school.
03:45So, to keep them busy, may mga interventions na pwedeng pangunahan ng LGUs, ng DSWD,
03:52para yung mga bata, instead of being involved sa ganitong mga hindi magagandang bagay,
03:59hindi natin pwedeng sabihin krimen.
04:01Kasi, hindi sila pwedeng i-considered as kriminal.
04:04Because nga, they are youth.
04:07They are minors.
04:08So, yun ang pinupush ng PNP for them to be preoccupied ang ating mga kabataan.
04:16Maging busy sila, na instead matuto sila, yung may mga skills na pwedeng ituro sa kanila,
04:24may mga bagong mga kaalaman, instead of sa mga ganito sila na activities na kikisang.
04:31I actually did my research also third under RA 9344, which is the law governing minors and crime.
04:40And I think you mentioned earlier that children who are below 15 are exempt from criminal liability.
04:49So, that said, how will this new approach change how authorities will handle minors who are involved with incidents such
04:57as this one?
04:58Oo. Kanina nga ang sabi ni PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartates Jr., Sir DJ,
05:06dealing with the youth, the minor, it should be a handiwork of social workers.
05:15Pero, kasi dahil may mga nangyayari, hindi maganda, kahit ano mangyari, gagawin din yun ng polis, magre-responde ang polis.
05:23So, the polis is always there.
05:27Pero, ang frontliner kasi diyan ay ang ating mga social workers.
05:32Yeah, I think I will also have to agree with what you just said, no?
05:37Because under the said Republic Act also, the purpose when once there are minors who are involved with incidents like
05:45this one is for them to be diverted,
05:47which I think what you were saying, and then depending on the need, they need to be rehabilitated or, and
05:53after that, reintegrated.
05:55You mentioned already the role of DSWD.
06:01How about the LGUs?
06:03Because it's also mentioned in their report that they have a participation in terms of managing minors who are involved
06:10with this kind of incidents.
06:13Oo, kagaya din nga nun.
06:15Kasi ngayon, meron ang DILG at ang PNP, meron silang Safer Cities.
06:20And with that Safer Cities, involved doon sa Safer Cities initiative nila, pasama doon ay ang implementation ng curfew for
06:29minors,
06:30especially gaya na may maraming mga insidente na ang mga insidente na kinaka-involvan or kinakasangkutan ng mga kabataan ay
06:42nangyayari sa gabi.
06:43Although dito sa nakita nating viral incident ay sa, pero in broad daylight,
06:50pero isa na dyan sa magiging role ng LGUs ay yung pag-i-implement ng curfew.
06:58At dahil sila rin naman yung mga mas nakakakilala sa mga magulang nitong mga kabataan na ito,
07:04just to inform them, to make them aware of mga activities ng kanilang mga anak.
07:11So diba usually pag mga ganyan, pag tinawag sa barangay, tinawag sa police station,
07:16ang ginagawa ay pinapatawag ang magulang.
07:18And since ang LGU ang mas nakakakilala sa kanilang mga constituents,
07:22yun ang nakikita ang role ng PNP para sa mga local government units.
07:26You've mentioned parents or mga magulang of these kids.
07:31What do you think also or what is the PNP also hope to achieve
07:36when it comes to improvement of parental supervision?
07:41Oo, yun nga. Ako bilang magulang, parang minsan may yung mga gano'ng nai-involve sa mga insidente na krimen,
07:54nagiging paulit-ulit. May mga repetitive, may mga paulit-ulit na nai-involve na mga kabataan
08:01doon sa mga krimen.
08:03So paulit-ulit, paulit-ulit din yung mga magulang.
08:08So the PNP is hoping na yung matigil na,
08:15lalo na yung mga repetitive violators na mga kabataan.
08:22Kasi syempre nakakadagdag din siya sa nagiging trabaho ng polis.
08:27Honestly, di ba, imbis na they are nag-respond sa other crimes,
08:34they are dealing with the youth na pwedeng sa bahay pa lang,
08:38eh nasa stop na para hindi na iyon mangyari.
08:42Yeah, actually, that's a good point because you stated it also on the report
08:46that the PNP noticed a pattern for repeat offenders
08:50and they happen to be also children that need parental supervision.
08:55As we say, family is the basic unit of society.
08:59The other thing also here, third, which is an interesting part of Republic Act 9344,
09:06because there is a window for children who are above 15 but below 18
09:13are liable for crimes if they acted on discernment,
09:19which is the more tricky part to establish.
09:23So in your observation, how challenging is it for the authorities
09:28to balance child protection laws with public safety concerns?
09:34Oo, sometimes kasi hindi naman natin maaalis.
09:37Pag nag-responde ang polis, minsan polis pa ang napapasama.
09:43That's the reality.
09:45Kasi when they respond, gaya nito, gaya nitong naging viral na ito,
09:52they were looking for the polis.
09:54Pero hindi natin alam na sometimes on that particular moment,
10:00nagkakaroon na, napupunta ang polis sa bad light.
10:02So yun sana ang ginagawang effort niya para maayos itong problema na ito.
10:11Kaya, hello?
10:13Yeah, kaya...
10:14Sorry, I can't hear you.
10:16Yeah, no, I can hear you.
10:18So you said kaya...
10:20Oo, kaya yun ang isa sa mga intervention na they are hoping for
10:28para maayos itong nagiging concern sa mga kabataan natin ngayon.
10:35Thank you, Third, for your time and for joining us today for this particular report.
10:41Thank you, Sir DJ.
10:42So that was Third, Anne Malonzo, and she's our correspondent on the ground in Metro Manila.
10:49So before we close this particular episode, although I've mentioned this already earlier,
10:54the tricky balance here is on the enforcement and also protecting the child.
11:02Because under the Philippine system, it actually says one thing very clearly,
11:09that a child who commits a crime is still a child.
11:12So in the case of what you're seeing on screen, they look like children who are below 15.
11:18So in that case, the law will always prioritize guidance over punishment
11:25and then recovery over incarceration.
11:29So that's why what usually happens in cases like this,
11:34especially if the incident is already serious in nature,
11:37the police will bring these children to DSWD.
11:43And why is that so?
11:44Because DSWD is the lead agency for care and rehabilitation.
11:49And the law only requires the police to turn over minors to DSWD or the LGU social workers immediately.
12:01Now, the other thing also before we close,
12:03and this is for our viewers and for our lawmakers also to ponder,
12:08is how effective exactly are the intervention that's also being made by DSWD and the LGU
12:16and even enabling also the parents of these minors.
12:20Because supposedly, in my opinion, on an ideal state,
12:26so there are minors involved in incidents like this,
12:29they are turned over to DSWD or LGU for intervention,
12:34of course, with support also of their respective families.
12:39The ideal scenario supposedly is these children will not be back on the street
12:44practically committing the same thing over and over again.
12:49But unfortunately, at least for our observation, this is not exactly the case.
12:55And I would still have to agree that this is not necessarily an enforcement issue,
12:59but this is more on how effective our social services intervention
13:05to ensure that this minors' behavior will not recur.
13:11And I will also have to say that since family is the basic unit of society,
13:16it also matters also for parents to discipline and manage their children
13:23so that they can become also better citizens of the city or of the country for that matter.
13:31So for our viewers, just in case you have comments,
13:34even if this episode will already end,
13:36you can continue to drop your feedback and your questions in the comment section below,
13:43and we will do our best to answer them.
13:46So the push for stronger intervention highlights a shift
13:50from reacting to incidents to preventing them.
13:54Beyond the headlines, keeping minors away from crime is a shared responsibility,
13:58one that begins long before intervention is needed.
14:03I am DJ Moises.
14:04This is Beyond the Headlines.
14:05Have a good afternoon.
14:06coming soon.
14:07Bye-bye.
14:10See you soon.
14:21Bye-bye.
14:25Bye-bye.
14:26Bye-bye.
14:29Bye.
14:30Bye-bye.
14:31Bye-bye.
14:33Bye.
14:34You
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