KIKO CONDEMNS RAPE-SLAY OF CEBU TEENER, HITS POLICEMEN FOR SLOPPY POLICE WORK

Independent senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, author of Republic Act No. 9344, otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, strongly condemns the rape-slay of a 13-year-old girl from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

"We strongly condemn this criminal act and we express our sincerest condolences to the family of the victim. This event represents every parent's worst nightmare," Pangilinan said.

According to news reports, the victim was gang-raped and then killed by six youngsters aged 13 to 19. One of the suspects, a 16-year-old identified as Roy (not his real name) admitted to the killing and confirmed the involvement of the rest in the group.

Pangilinan also slammed Police Senior Superintendent Mariano Natuel, Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief, for saying that nothing can be done about the case.

"It is wrong to say that nothing can be done about this case because of RA 9344. The law provides for measures to ensure that something IS done to protect children, make them account for their acts, and ensure that justice is done in a child-appropriate process. Law enforcers shouldn't use the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act as an excuse for sloppy police work," he remarked.

Under the law, children 15 years old and above who commit offenses with an imposable penalty of more than six years and who have been determined to have acted with discernment should undergo court proceedings. When brought to court, these children may be placed under suspended sentence and be subject to rehabilitation programs.

In this case, the Department of Social Welfare and Development or the local social welfare and development office may also file a petition for involuntary commitment for suspects below 15 years old.

"We have never taken a position tolerating crime and lawlessness--and this law is no exception," Pangilinan reiterated. "If anything, we are only strengthening our resolve to address the problem of crime and lawlessness as a community. That is why we have been working to involve different sectors for the improvement and proper implementation of RA 9344."

He emphasizes that law enforcers should "do their homework" and know how to properly handle such cases.

"We will never stand for injustice. We will never condone crime. These law enforcers should do their homework before blaming the law," Pangilinan said.

The senator also urged Malacañang to release the budgets that have been allocated for the proper implementation of RA 9344--a bill which received unanimous consent from the Senate and was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 28, 2006. The law provides for an annual budget of P50 million a year or P150 million for the three years since the passing of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. However, until today only around P20 million has been released.

"Where is the rest of the P130 million? We need political will to address this issue. The law is there to protect children, especially the victims of crimes. What we need now is proper training and implementation, and the resources to make this happen."