“Adda pay PATO gang (agtatakaw ti pato), siga-siga gang, ken dadduma pay… tumulong koma ti parientes to look after their kids” Tabuk CSWDO on increase of CICL cases

Tabuk, Kalinga - During the Consultative Meeting for Duty-Bearers Handling Special Cases in Tabuk City, the City Welfare and Development Office, although they didn’t mention the specific number, reported that they saw an increase in cases of Child in Conflict with the Law.

Conchita Busaiya, Social Welfare Officer IV of the Protective Services Division, CSWD Office- LGU Tabuk City, informed that most of the cases they attended to involving minors were related to theft and robbery where the wrongdoers usually forcibly take some other people’s belongings.

One other main problem that is connected to the increase in cases is the increase in the number of gangs in Tabuk which the office documented through the minors who were caught and referred to their office.

“Tatta ti maysa nga problema pay ket daytoy gang fights kadagiti ubbing. Imamdo kano ti gang… adda pay Pato gang nga ti focus da met kanu ket agtakaw ti pato, sigasiga gang nga mapan makibokboksing, ken dadduma pay. Saan met taga Tabuk amin dagitoy… from other municipalities ti ado ngem ditoy Tabuk ti pagsasabatan da ken pang-awisan da kadagiti kakadwa da,” says CSWDO Officer Estefania Baglinit.

Baglinit said one of the main problems is that the minors invoke their rights against being criminally charged because of their age, saying the way this is being taught is wrong as minors who got involved still have to take responsibility through their parents.

“Ti problema ket ti kanayun ibagada dagiti ubbing, saan da kano met maikulong ta minors da garud, isunga ulit-uliten da dagita. Ti ibagada pay dadduma ket adda met kwarta ti parents da nga mangbayad nu natiliw da,” explained Baglinit.

Nevertheless, the CSWDO Officer said their office, with the help of the PNP-Tabuk and their partner workers in the social welfare, are doing their part in providing help to CICLs and Children At Risk as well as those who experienced being a victim of VAWC and Child Abuse.

Baglinit said their office is always open and that they are now working on urging the City Government to fast track the building of a CICL facility to help minors who have nowhere to go to until a guardian can take care of them.

Additionally, the CSWDO-Tabuk is also working on the intensified implementation and support to the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children so that problems regarding minors as well as cases can immediately be addressed at the barangay level before they become more serious.

Tabuk CSWDO is asking the community to help in helping the minors by taking care of their own children and regularly checking on them as some may have already been recruited as members of gangs and may be involved in tragic cases in the future.

Busaiya said there are tell-tale signs which may indicate something is off, like frequent over-night stay at friends house, coming home late at night, vices, uncontrolled anger or behaviour.

The CSWDO is also asking for more involvement of barangay officials and workers as they know better their constituents.