PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered concerned government agencies to intensify and ensure child protection in schools, directing law enforcement authorities to conduct more thorough investigations on crimes involving students.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro yesterday said the President directed the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Philippine National Police (PNP) to coordinate efforts in looking into these cases.
Castro said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has also been directed to coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) in monitoring the implementation of the child protection policy in all schools.
She said there is also a growing concern over the mental health of the young.
“Hindi po ito tutulugan at aaksyonan po ng mga concerned agencies. Agad-agad din po (government will not sit on this and will immediately be acted upon by the concerned agencies),” she said.
Recent reports showed a series of violent incidents in and around schools, which include a senior high school student in Lanao del Sur who reportedly fatally shot his teacher who gave him a failing grade, and an 18-year-old who shot a 15-year-old ex-girlfriend inside a school in Nueva Ecija this month.
Asked about proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 years old under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, Castro said she has yet to discuss the matter with the President.
Under the current law, the age of criminal responsibility is 15, while younger children are exempt from criminal liability but are subjected to intervention programs.
As this developed, the Pampanga police and the DSWD Field Office 3 – Central Luzon on late Wednesday arrested an American pastor following numerous complaints by children who experienced physical, verbal and psychological abuse while under the care of the suspect’s social welfare and development agency (SWADA) in Mexico, Pampanga.
Pastor Jeremy Ferguson, director of the New Life Baptist Church of Mexico, Pampanga Inc. (NLBCMPI) located in District 12, Barangay Pandacaqui, was arrested for violating the provisions of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
Before the arrest, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian issued a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) against the New Life Baptist Church of Mexico, Pampanga Inc., following the complaints that the children under the facility’s care suffered physical abuse, verbal abuse, and psychological abuse.
Complaints of the presence of fire hazards, mismanagement of funds, improper case management, and non-compliance with the DSWD Registration, License to Operate and Accreditation standards were also raised against the facility.
A total of 156 children had been rescued and accounted for by the DSWD and have been temporarily placed under the protective custody of the FO-3’s Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) in Lubao, Pampanga.
Gatchalian, in an interview yesterday, said aside from the criminal cases against Ferguson, the DSWD is also requesting the Bureau of Immigration to issue a Hold Departure Order (HDO) against him “to make sure that he will face his criminal cases in court.”
He said some children had complained about the abuse to DSWD field workers who were conducting quarterly inspections and assessments of facilities.
