Lawyers aim for zero minors in jail

As the Caloocan City quietly observes "National Awareness Week for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation," the IBP Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas (Calmana) chapter, headed by lawyer Marissa Manalo-Ang, is aiming for "zero minors in jail."

Ang said that the goal may raise skeptical eyebrows, but she firmly believes it is doable.

In an interview , the lawyer told The STAR that her group is now working out a way to realize this even sooner.

"That is the ideal. The only problem is that no sooner than we near the zero mark every week, the number would go up with new arrestees. But I think we have to live with that. I think it can be done. It would be good for us that the number is kept to the minimum," Ang said.

She added, though, that the jail decongestion project is, for now, limited only to Caloocan.

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri, who heads the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) backing the lawyers’ project lauded the efforts of the crusading lawyers in their effort for reforms in the justice system, particularly in the area affecting minors in trouble with the law.

"This is proof that, contrary to what doubters continue to hold unfairly for the city, something good can and does come from Caloocan," said Echiverri, himself a lawyer by profession. "As we celebrate the city’s 44th founding anniversary on Feb. 16, the noble and inspiring efforts of the IBP Caloocan Chapter in providing new hope for this troubled sector of this city and the country at large should provide more impetus for us all to forge ahead in our bid to reclaim and relive the old glory days of Caloocan."

Ang said she broached the idea of decongesting the city jai before the CPOC in August last year with special focus on the plight of young offenders.

She said her group also proposed the creation of a special committee to make studies on decongestion and make recommendations and solutions to the present problems.

Ang said her group has assigned 10 volunteer lawyers to work on the release of detention prisoners, which comprise the bulk of the jail population, and the minors.

Detention prisoners are those in jail either because they could not post bail for non-bailable offenses, they have no money to pay for their temporary liberty or they have no lawyers.

The inmates have not necessarily been convicted, but are charged and waiting for their cases to be heard.

Ang said minors usually have no lawyers to represent them because even their parents could not be found in the first place.