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By Thom F. Picaña Northern
Luzon Bureau Chief
Christmas may look bleak for
seven children in the Baguio City Jail but Warden Miguel Cawi keeps
his hopes up that these “children in conflict with law” will get
reunited with their
parents and other loved ones this
holiday season.
“Some of the kids’ crimes are
bailable. The other day, one of them posted bail and will be home
for Christmas,” Cawi said.
As I was interviewing Cawi, the
seven youths were called to his office so I could meet them before I
visit them and take pictures in their cells. All the seven were in
spartan slippers, newly bathed and sporting new haircuts.
Cawi explained that the seven
minors “in the care of the jail” are “regulars.” They have
been jailed more than twice for the petty crimes of theft and
malicious mischief.
“They are aged 15, 16 and
17,” Cawi said as he gathered his “little boys” for the brief
interview. They come from as far as Cagayan and Pangasinan.
Cawi tells them, “Baka naman
ma-ibail na kayo ng mga magulang ninyo [Maybe your parents can bail
you out]. Then you can have temporary liberty on Christmas Day.”
The jail holds 410 inmates
right now though it can accommodate only 250. Twelve adult inmates
are cramped in each cell.
“But the juvenile unit is
different, they have their own beds and are not cramped,” Cawi
said.
The boys are taught religion,
communication, crafts and arts inside the jail.
“Except for the social workers
and the NGO people, these CICLs have no visitors, not even their
parents. (“Wala naman silang bisita, kahit magulang nila).”
He surmises the parents of the
seven have decided having their children in jail is better for the
kids than having them out in the streets at home.
Only two of the seven have
private lawyers. Five have a lawyer each assigned by the Public
Attorney’s Office.
“They have hearings at least
every other month,” Cawi said.
Can’t their trials be speeded
up? Cawi has given up on this, “We cannot force the courts,” he
said. “They have a lot of more important cases.”
Since the Juvenile Justice Act
came into effect, Cawi said, “Most of the youth offenders are
turned over to the social welfare department.”
Republic Act 9344 exempts
children 15 years and below from criminal liability. Older youth
offenders, aged 15 to 18, can be criminally charged but only if they
committed the crime “with discernment.”
The law directs law enforcers to
turn over children caught for unlawful or criminal acts to social
workers upon their apprehension.
There are daily rehabilitation
programs to keep the kids busy, while people from nongovernmental
organizations come in regularly to help out.
They give inmates food, clothing,
books, hold classes in crafts, and organize other learning programs
in the hope that when it is time for each prisoner to go back to the
world, they have become better prepared to behave and succeed as
law-abiding citizens.
Speaking of the adult inmates,
Cawi said, the five groups all requested to be allowed to have a
Christmas party.
“The groups are Sputnik, God is
Good Group, Sige-Sige Comando, Baguio City Jail Group and Bahala na
Gang. They are organizing their own Christmas events. Many really
like spending Christmas here because there’s a lot of food and
many activities (“Gusto talagang dito na mag pasko kasi maraming
pagkain at activities.)”
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