Tacloban city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is providing intensive interventions to the two detained minors involved in the recent school shooting in Tacloban City, Leyte.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a media forum on Thursday, Assistant Secretary Ada Colico of the agency's Protective Programs stated that the minors are currently under the care of a DSWD-managed Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY), where they are receiving specialized and closely monitored interventions. The minors are housed in separate rooms and are not permitted to interact with other residents of the center.
Colico informed reporters that the minors have exclusive house parents and psychologists focused on their rehabilitation. Regular consultations are conducted with them, including interactions with their social worker case manager. The minors have not yet been allowed to leave their rooms or communicate with their parents.
The DSWD emphasizes confidentiality regarding all information about the minors, in line with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. The ongoing psychological assessments are part of the process to determine when the children's parents might be permitted to visit, based on professional evaluations.
Each child has a tailored intervention plan addressing therapeutic, rehabilitation, and medical needs. Rehabilitation extends beyond the individual, requiring active family participation through a holistic and total family approach, as highlighted by Colico. She noted that factors such as parenting, home environment, and peer influence are considered during rehabilitation.
In response to questions about the potential influence of video games and online content, Colico acknowledged their possible impact on children's behavior but emphasized the importance of viewing these factors within a broader context.
Professional assessments, rather than self-declarations, will determine a child's readiness to reintegrate into the community. The DSWD is also enhancing community-based interventions to prevent children from engaging in offenses, including strengthening parental responsibilities and implementing Parent Effectiveness Services.
Additionally, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is examining how other countries address Nihilist Violent Extremism (NVE), which may have been a factor in the Tacloban incident. Undersecretary Nicholas Ty highlighted the use of terrorism frameworks in other countries to hold perpetrators accountable, but he emphasized the need for careful study and caution due to the controversial nature of terrorism definitions. In the absence of specific NVE laws, existing legal frameworks will be applied to hold the minor perpetrators accountable for the deaths of three students.
