MARIT STINUS-CABUGON
‘KUNG gutom ang isang tao, kakapit na ‘yan sa patalim makakuha lang ng panlaman sa tiyan.” (When a person is hungry, he will do desperate things just to satisfy his hunger.) Thus did Rappler quote then Davao City Mayor now President Rodrigo Duterte (Rappler June 10, 2015). Mr. Duterte was addressing the issue of youth offenders and what he saw as shortcomings of Republic Act 9344 (as amended by RA 10630) or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.