The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Thursday asked the government to immediately release children facing criminal charges in compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare (JJW) Act of 2006.

CHR issued the appeal through an advisory dated May 6. It was approved by Chairperson Leila M. de Lima, along with Commissioners Cecilia Rachel V. Quisumbing, Ma. Victoria V. Cardona, Norberto de la Cruz and Jose Manuel S. Mamauag.

In the advisory, CHR said that in the 11 precincts visited by the CHR from September 2007 to March 2009, 120 children were detained, 80 of them aged 17, 23 were 16-years-old, 14 were 15, two were 14-years-old and one was only 12.

De Lima asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to turn over suspected child offenders to the social welfare and development office or other accredited non-government organizations (NGOs), as mandated under Section 21 of the JJW Act of 2006, not later than eight hours after they are apprehended.

CHR also called on the PNP “to ensure that child sensitivity trainings for law enforcement officers are strengthened, and that these trainings be continuously and regularly provided, not only to those assigned to children and women’s desks, but for all members of the PNP.”

The commission also pleaded with the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) of the Supreme Court (SC) “to intensify its Justice on Wheels Program to speed up the trial of the cases of detained children, monitor court actions, including court orders and detention, in order to determine those that might contribute to the problem of continuing detention of children in jails and to address this problem and ensure that training on child sensitive procedures for court judges and personnel are strengthened, and that these trainings are regularly and continuously provided for them.”

Local government units (LGUs) were also asked “to give priority to the establishment and/or strengthening of Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPCs) in their respective jurisdictions and to coordinate with their LCPC in the immediate establishment of a local comprehensive juvenile delinquency program. LGUs should meaningfully utilize available resources in establishing prevention and rehabilitation programs and services, i.e. allotment of one percent of the Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA) for the strengthening and implementation of LCPC’s programs. (Section 15, JJW Act 2006).”

CHR said LGUs must comply with their obligation to build youth detention homes under the Family Courts, as reiterated in Section 49 of the JJW Act of 2006.