QC’s children of conflict going home

Manny was barely 15 years old when he was admitted to the Molave Youth Home in Quezon City for a case of robbery with homicide. Under the law, his crime is punishable by life imprisonment or death.

Now 16, Manny will no longer have to languish in jail to serve his sentence. Instead, he is heading home.

The reason: A landmark bill addressing the plight of thousands of children in jail has finally become a law.

The Juvenile Justice Welfare Act was signed into law last May 16 by President Gloria and took effect on May 22.

Under the new law, cases involving persons 15 years and below at the time of the commission of the crime shall be immediately dismissed and the offender shall be referred to the appropriate local welfare and development officer.

The Quezon City government is one of the first local government units to initiate efforts to immediately comply with the provisions of the newly-approved law.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has met with family court judges and representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Attorney’s Office to ensure the effective application of the law.

The mayor underscored the need to further promote and protect the welfare of youth wards at the Molave Youth Home.

With the effectivity of the new law, 48 wards of the city’s special detention center for youth offenders will soon be given their release papers, including a 15-year-old boy charged with possession of deadly weapons, a 14-year old gardener slapped with a rape case and an 11-year-old boy charged with robbery.

However, since the commitment of the minors to Molave is based on a court order, it is deemed that their discharge should also be covered by a court order.

On orders of the mayor, the city’s social services development department, under Teresa Mariano, will be providing holistic after-care services to these children and their families to ensure their successful integration into the mainstream of society, in keeping with he city’s "child-friendly" thrust.