Rights group urges youth violence fixes

By Juliane Judilla

Human rights group Panay Alliance Karapatan criticized what it described as the government’s “reactive” response to recent violent incidents involving minors, including the school shooting in Tacloban City and stabbing cases reported on Panay Island.

The group urged authorities to focus on long-term social interventions instead of punitive measures.

In a statement, the group said it was “gravely concerned over violent incidents involving minors in the Philippines” and extended its sympathies to the families affected by the attacks.

“We express our sympathies and condolences to the affected families, and appeal to authorities to lawfully and swiftly act upon these incidents, giving due regard to the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved,” the organization said.

Panay Alliance Karapatan also rejected claims blaming the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act for the recent incidents, saying such arguments misrepresent the law.

“It is misleading to claim that this law totally shields minors who commit crimes,” the group said.

It added that when discernment is established, the law provides mechanisms for accountability, rehabilitation, and intervention rather than immunity from criminal responsibility.

Under Republic Act 9344, as amended by Republic Act 10630, a child 15 years old or younger at the time of the offense is exempt from criminal liability but must undergo an intervention program.

The law also provides that children above 15 but below 18 may be held accountable if they acted with discernment.

According to the organization, the recent cases expose deeper social problems rather than flaws in existing juvenile justice laws.

The group criticized proposals from some national and local government officials to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, restrict online video games, and increase police or military presence in and around schools.

It described the proposals as superficial responses that fail to address the roots of youth violence.

“Turning physical and virtual spaces into heavily policed environments merely aggravates the socio-economic and psychological bases of peer-to-peer violence among minors, and serves to further breed an atmosphere of fear and distress for students,” it said.

Panay Alliance Karapatan urged public officials to move beyond calls for harsher punishment and instead examine the conditions that contribute to violence among young people.

“Aside from asking, ‘Ano ang ubrahon sa mga bata?’ as a reactionary demand for immediate punishment, it requires far more effort to face the systemic question: ‘Ngaa nag-amo sini ang mga bata?’” the statement read.

The group argued that government agencies have failed to create environments that protect children’s welfare, citing inadequate social services, worsening educational conditions, and communities lacking accessible support systems.

“It is easy for agencies to blame children when they commit criminal acts, but difficult for the same agencies to face the truth: decades of band-aid reforms in government programs have failed to support nurturing environments that could have kept or diverted children away from illegal acts,” it said.

Panay Alliance Karapatan also linked what it described as a broader “culture of impunity and state fascism” to the normalization of violence.

It alleged that inflammatory rhetoric from government leaders and the failure to hold rights violators accountable contribute to harmful examples for young people.

The organization further called for stricter accountability over how firearms become accessible to minors.

It said authorities should investigate individuals and regulatory failures that allowed weapons to reach children.

The appeal came after the June 22 school shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where three students were killed and several others were wounded.

The incident prompted renewed discussions on school safety, youth violence, online content, and the country’s juvenile justice system.

Rather than relying on punitive policies, the group urged the government to invest in preventive measures, including stronger peer support systems, expanded mental health services in schools and barangays, and community-based programs addressing trauma.

“Ultimately, we make communities and schools safer not by intimidating populations or by locking up more and more kids, but by putting in place the systems and services that ensure the quality of life and overall health of citizens, including our youth and children,” the statement said.

The group maintained that sustainable solutions to youth violence require addressing underlying social, economic, and psychological issues rather than adopting what it called reflexive law-and-order responses.