This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 36, October 16-22, 2005
Doing Time in the Company of Hardened Criminals
by Mylene Buensuceso,
Ronald Caraig, Likha Cuevas, and Jenielle Marie Enojo According to the latest
Save the Children-UK Philippines (SCUK-Phils) study, poverty is the root of
juvenile crimes. It involves committing a violation while in the process of
carrying out one’s livelihood or in the act of survival. Most juveniles resort
to stealing because of hunger. “Ginawa ko lang naman po
yon kasi ako lang ang inaasahan sa pamilya namin. Panganay ako at ako ang
nagpapa-aral sa mga kapatid ko” (I
did it because my family depends on me. I am the eldest and I send my siblings
to school), said Rommel (not his real name), accused of attempted robbery
and currently detained at the Muntinlupa City Jail. A 14-year old child
detainee housed at Molave confessed that he stole a pair of pants from a
department store so he could give his younger brother a gift. He said that he
did not know that he could be jailed for committing such an act. He thought that
if he got caught, he would only be asked by the owner of the store to pay for
that item. According to the DSWD, the
three most common crimes that the children in conflict with the law (CICL)
commit are theft, attempted theft, and qualified theft (1,279 cases). The second
in the list are robbery, hold-up, robbery with serious physical injuries and
frustrated robberies (603 cases). The third are rape, attempted rape and
statutory rape (363 cases). “Kahit naman po saan,
kulungan pa rin yan, eh. Wala akong pagpipilian, saan man ako mapunta pareho
lang na hindi ko makikita ang pamilya ko”
(It does not matter where, it’s still a jail. I
have no basis for choosing, wherever I go I will still be unable to see my
family), said Ted (not his real name), accused of murder detained
at one of the city jails in Metro Manila. Ted was 15 at the time he
was brought to the jail, and after four hearings, he admitted killing a lesbian
who allegedly molested his crush. He said that he does not mind being in an
adult jail because they, as minors, have a separate cell. He has not given up on
his future. Although he pleaded guilty, he knows he will have a lighter sentence
as a result. His fear, however, begins the moment he gets out of jail,
particularly how the people in his community would accept him. There are also cases,
according to Jail Officer 3 (JO3) Pablito Sison of Muntinlupa City Jail, where
the CICL adapt to the ways of the adult offenders and later copy them. But most
CICL complain that their families hardly visit them since the day they were sent
to jail. Negative
effects According to the Cebu study
of the SCUK-Phils, most of the 93 CICL shared that their experience in jail
affected their lives negatively. The social workers and jail staff who were
interviewed confirmed this. Most of the CICL were first
offenders. Moreover, they were concerned about finding work, afraid that they
would be teased if they return to school or worried about the general prejudice
from society. On the other hand, some
claimed that being detained did not affect their life, adding that they have
become hardened and were no longer afraid of jail and of committing other
offenses. As one correctional staff member shared, “Some CICL were like puppies
when they first entered the jail; a few days later, they become rough.”
DSWD Director Finard
Cabilao said that even the “jail-style” look of the homes for the CICL has an
effect on these children. “Ang problem kasi, it is still managed by BJMP,
minsan kasama ang social welfare of Quezon City.
(The problem is, it is still managed
by the BJMP and it is only seldom for the social welfare department of Quezon
City to forge partnerships with it.) But in Manila, those who handle the youth
homes are purely civilians, and that is true for most detention centers,”
he said. The “home concept” of these
youth homes is often violated because they have grills. They also do not have
enough water, beds and beddings, eating utensils and educational activities. The
common reason among them is that they do not have the budget to be able to
provide these facilities and programs to the CICL. The SCUK-Phils study also
revealed, “The lack or absence of serious rehabilitation program in custodial
centers was also common. Children were found to experience boredom in jails,
with the monotony of routine pushing them to escape. It was also observed that
very few of the CICL are able to go out to attend school. Reintegration planning
was also found to be minimal.” Bulatlat
Playground Behind Bars
Slow
Justice for Detained Children
© 2005 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
SPECIAL REPORT
Second of
four parts
Bulatlat
First of four-part series
Third of four parts
Last of four parts