Government sleeping on 20-year-old juvenile justice law – groups
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Child rights advocates lament that the implementation of the country’s juvenile justice system has been weak, with many local government units (LGUs) still failing to comply with key provisions of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
The advocacy group Batas for Every Juan, together with the Center for Human Rights and Sustainability Education, said many LGUs have yet to establish prevention and intervention programs for children at risk despite the law requiring them to allocate at least one percent of their budget for this.
“The law is not the problem. The real issue is the government’s failure to enforce it,” the advocates said, as they urged the LGUs to fully implement RA 9344, instead of blaming the law for shortcomings in addressing juvenile delinquency.
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