The two minors tagged in the June 22 mass shooting in Tacloban City will remain under strict rehabilitation and will not receive special treatment despite being covered by the country’s juvenile justice law, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8 said on Friday.
DSWD-8 Director Grace Subong said the two children in conflict with the law (CICL) are currently housed at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (RRCY) in Tanauan, Leyte, where they are undergoing immediate intervention while authorities continue to address the aftermath of the attack that killed three students and injured 20 others.
Subong stressed that both minors are subject to restrictions inside the DSWD-managed facility, including a prohibition on leaving the center, using mobile phones, accessing the internet, watching television, and regularly communicating with their families.
“With these restrictions, there is somehow a penalty and accountability as a result of their action,” Subong said.
She added that the two suspects are housed in separate rooms because of their age difference.
According to Subong, DSWD personnel, including mental health professionals, have begun counseling and intervention sessions with the minors, who are still processing the incident.
“We have talked to them and prepared the necessary interventions. We talk to them slowly to make sure they can respond and to provide proper care,” she said.
The older suspect, a 15-year-old identified only by the alias “Rod,” has undergone inquest proceedings before the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office after the Police Regional Office 8 filed charges of three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and serious physical injury.
Subong said rehabilitation remains the priority under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, but added that failure to respond to rehabilitation could have legal consequences later.
“In the event that the rehabilitation will fail, they will be referred to a regular jail facility when they reach the legal age. We will look into their state as a person, but it is the court’s decision if they will be released or stay,” she said.
Meanwhile, the younger suspect, a 14-year-old identified as “Nash,” is exempt from criminal liability under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, because of his age.
However, he will also undergo long-term rehabilitation under the DSWD through a diversion program, an alternative process that determines accountability and appropriate intervention without formal court proceedings.
The diversion program includes socio-cultural, psychological, and other support services intended to help the child recover and prevent reoffending.
The two minors are currently housed at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth in Barangay Sto. Niño, Tanauan, Leyte, a DSWD facility that began operations in February 1981 and currently accommodates 30 children in conflict with the law.
The June 22 shooting at a school in Tacloban City left three students dead and 20 others injured, prompting renewed calls for tighter school security and stronger intervention programs for at-risk youth.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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