Dear Editor,
The news of the incident wherein some juvenile inmates at Operation Second Chance had assaulted and taken hostage a guard, was quite depressing. It is disturbing to think that this might be the reality we now live in. A reality wherein children are imprisoned and thereafter abused to the point of retaliating against the very guards assigned to protect them.
I, as a young member of society, was discouraged to hear of what my fellow youth had done to figures of authority. It has left me to wonder as to what had motivated them to take such an action. Was it simply because they were juveniles, or had they been subjected to unfavorable circumstances or maltreatment?
In the university we take up courses that involve the study of human nature. We learn that adolescence is a phase where they face emotional and social turmoil to establish their identity in society. Thus individuals this age are more impulsive and impressionable. Sadly, due to various social problems in our society they were pushed towards a path that led them to become “criminals.”
But even seeing that they are children, we should not ignore the fact that they are criminals. These individuals were imprisoned for committing wrongs against society. This is where Operation Second Chance comes in. It was created as a place for reform and correction of these wayward youth. They fail to understand this by not only assaulting an officer into hospitalization but insofar as using him as leverage for their demands. Their demands are ridiculous and unreasonable. They are not only compromising the security of the facility, but also defeating the purpose of the system.
It’s a relief to know that Councilor Osmeña, Judge Sarmiento, and other investigators are capably handling the situation and looking into the incident. I am confident that at the end of the day, these minors who nonetheless made mistakes should be treated like any other member of society who break the law.
John Adrian Emmanuel L. Laico
Student Majoring in AB Political Science
University of San Carlos