We condemn the continuing mistreatment of children who were detained following the September 21 mobilizations. Almost four days have passed, yet many remain separated from their parents, who have been waiting outside police headquarters and precincts, pleading for a glimpse of their sons and daughters.
Most come from poor families. Some joined the protests out of indignation at a system that has long denied them dignity and a future. Others had no part in the demonstrations at all—residents of nearby communities, onlookers, and passersby. They were innocent bystanders swept up in the crackdown, with nothing to do with the protests, let alone any alleged crime. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Instead of compassion, they were met with cruelty: dragged away, beaten, locked up, and cut off from their families. Some have since been referred to diversion programs and await transfer to their respective local governments. Others, however, now face indictments for direct assault, resistance and disobedience to persons in authority, tumultuous disturbance. illegal assembly, and violation of the Public Assembly Act.
Inside the Manila Police District headquarters, conditions were appalling. Children were denied adequate food and water and kept in filthy holding areas. Some were left barefoot and received no proper medical care for their injuries. Families who tried to visit and provide basic necessities were turned away. These are egregious violations of the rights of the child.
The stance of city officials has been equally alarming. Instead of extending support to distressed families, Mayor Isko Moreno has now summoned parents to the Manila City Hall, perhaps to pressure them into cooperation and even acceptance of liability for supposed crimes. This is consistent with his earlier threat that unless parents assist authorities in identifying those “behind” the protests, they themselves will be held answerable under the law. Such tactics shift blame onto the struggling families while diverting attention from the unlawful arrests and abuse already suffered by the children.
We recognize that many social workers on the ground have been working to address the immediate needs of the minors. But we cannot ignore the direction being signaled at the top: the use of criminal charges, including talk of sedition, to intimidate both children and their parents. This approach is punitive rather than protective, and stands in direct violation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (RA 9344) and the State’s duty to uphold the rights of the child.
We demand the immediate release of all children detained in the September 21 protests, and accountability for the police and officials who perpetrated and condoned these abuses.
To punish children for protest or poverty while sparing the powerful who plunder and abuse is the gravest injustice. The State’s duty is not to break the young with fear but to uphold their dignity and rights. ###
Reference:
Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
NUPL Secretary General
+639174316396
