MANILA, Philippines – Minors detained in Pasig City’s youth center were not beaten up or bullied, said the Juvenile Justice Welfare Council (JJWC) which checked on the facility on Monday, September 4. 

JJWC went to Bahay Aruga in Pasig City to validate claims about alleged abuse of the children arrested in the violent protest against an impending demolition in Manggahan Floodway last week. The children were charged with illegal assembly and direct assault.

“Iyong mga bata, okay naman sila doon. Maayos naman ang child protection system ng Bahay Aruga. Wala naman bullying na nangyayari, at least iyan ang nasabi ng mga bata,” JJWC Executive Director Tricia Oco told Rappler in a phone interview.   (The children there are okay. Bahay Aruga has a good child protection system. There was no bullying there, at least what the children said.) 

The Department of Social Welfare and Develpment (DSWD) ordered JJWC to check on the site after receiving reports that the 10 detained minors there were being beaten up.

DSWD Undersecretary Malou Turalbe-Jarabe earlier went there with Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas on September 3 but they were denied entry. The same thing happened to anti-poverty secretary Liza Maza and Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago’s visit on September 4. 

Turalbe-Jarabe said that based on the complaints her office received, the minors told the fiscal during their inquest proceedings that they were being beaten up. 

Inconsistent claims? 

This, however, is inconsistent with their responses to JJWC and DSWD social workers who conducted focus group discussions with the children on Monday. 

“Hindi natin alam sino iyong allegedly, sino ba iyong tinutukoy nila na nagpasakit sa kanila… sino ba iyong tinutukoy nila na sinaktan, saang government agency,” Oco explained, noting that the accusations have to be clarified.  

“Kailangan pa siguro nating i-verify iyon (We still need to verify that)… basta sure kami na pagdating sa (but we are assured that in) Bahay Aruga, there are no incidents of any kind of bullying in the center,” she added. 

Regarding reports that parents were also barred from seeing their children, Oco said that the local government unit (LGU) was still assessing the situation at the time.

“The minors were among those taken for protective custody because the protest turned into a riot… The reason why they weren’t able to release the children is because they were assessing the capacity of the parents if it was proper to return them,” said Oco in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Out of the 10 children detained, two are aged 12 and 13, which the JJWC already recommended for release. 

The remaining minors aged 15 and above have also been recommended for release but will be subjected to diversion proceedings. They will be brought to the barangay instead of having a case filed against them. 

Oco said the Pasig City LGU has committed to arrange the release of the children aged under 15. They are also amenable to the JJWC’s recommendation for the 8 others. 

Under Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act, the JJWC and the DSWD has the mandate to provide technical support to the LGU in implementing the law on child offenders.  (READ: Beyond juvenile delinquency: Why children break the law) – Rappler.com