TACLOBAN CITY – The 14-year-old boy linked to the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School (SJNHS) here remains under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at a rehabilitation facility in Tanauan, Leyte, a regional official said.
DSWD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Grace Subong made the clarification following reports that the minor, identified only by the alias “Nash,” had already left the facility.
“As far as we are concerned, the 14-year-old is still with DSWD at the rehabilitation facility, including the 15-year-old, and both continue to undergo assessment and interventions,” Subong said in a ImNET media forum held at the Madison Hotel and Resort, this city.
Her statement came after the parents of the three students killed in the shooting sought assurance on the whereabouts and status of the younger minor.
The parents reportedly also requested access to the 14-year-old, but the DSWD declined the request, citing the need to protect the privacy, welfare and security of children staying at the facility.
“We have to protect others, not just them. Rest assured that we will provide updates on the status of the two minors,” Subong said.
She emphasized that the facility is intended for rehabilitation and intervention rather than punishment.
According to Subong, children under DSWD care are given opportunities to continue their education and rebuild their lives. Some, she said, have eventually completed their studies, including college.
The two minors were placed under government custody following the shooting at SJNHS that left three students dead and others injured.
The incident prompted coordinated intervention by the DSWD, Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), law enforcement agencies and other government offices.
The DSWD earlier said a multidisciplinary assessment was conducted to determine the appropriate interventions for the two minors. The agency also convened a case conference with the JJWC and the Eastern Visayas regional multidisciplinary team to discuss the case and possible interventions.
The shooting also resulted in the filing of criminal charges against the 15-year-old minor. The Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas earlier said charges were filed in connection with the deaths and injuries resulting from the incident.
The legal treatment of the two minors is governed by the country’s juvenile justice system.
Under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, as amended by RA 10630, a child who is 15 years old or below at the time of the commission of an offense is exempt from criminal liability but must undergo an appropriate intervention program.
For children above 15 but below 18, the law likewise provides exemption from criminal liability unless they acted with discernment, in which case appropriate proceedings may be undertaken under the juvenile justice system.
Exemption from criminal liability does not automatically mean that a child is released without intervention. Depending on the circumstances and assessment, a child may undergo community-based intervention or be referred to a youth care facility when necessary and in the child’s best interest.
Following the shooting, the DSWD also provided psychological first aid and psychosocial support to affected students, parents, witnesses and bereaved families.
Face-to-face classes at SJNHS resumed on July 6, about two weeks after the incident, as authorities worked to help the school community recover from the shooting.
The DSWD has continued providing psychosocial support and related interventions to frontline personnel involved in responding to the incident, as well as rehabilitation and intervention for children in conflict with the law.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
