DAVAO City — Child rights advocates hit Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for being “callous as his father is” with her statement on social media regarding children’s capability to commit crimes.
Duterte-Carpio, in her Instagram post over the weekend, said, “children are capable of committing crimes. Put that in your head. Wag na sana kayo mag pretend na anghel ang mga bata, wala po tayo sa langit.”
Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concern rebuked Duterte-Carpio saying that it is “ridiculous” for a government official to put all the blame on children.
Eule Rico Bonganay, secretary-general of Salinlahi said, “As much as we recognize that children breaking the law is a reality, we reiterate that children in conflict with the law are victims of poverty and state neglect of rehabilitative services that they (Duterte government) should have provided in the first place. It is ridiculous when a government official puts all the blame on children and echo a wrong and punitive solution to the problem.”
Salinlahi explained that the government failed to provide child-friendly facilities and effective and appropriate intervention program for children who violated the law.
“It is with such hypocrisy that Mayor Sarah and her father opt to punish children while forgetting to punish drug lords and syndicates who are close to them and within their family,” Bonganay said.
The group added that lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility targets the poor. (davaotoday.com)
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