Educators group in Mindanao rejects punitive measures vs juvenile delinquency

The exhibit features children’s artworks and case stories from Voices Behind the Brush: Stories of Hope and Resilience and Real Stories of Broken and Mending Lives during the publications’ launch at Eden Nature Park and Resort in Davao City on June 18. The books document the experiences of children affected by drug-related violence. MindaNews photo by BEA GATMAYTAN

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 30 June 2026) – An educators network on Tuesday junked calls for heightened police presence in schools and lowering the age of criminal responsibility after two minors were tagged in a school shooting in Tacloban City last week that killed three students and injured 20 others.

In a statement, the Educators Forum for Development (EFD)-Mindanao said the government should instead perform a “comprehensive review and overhaul of institutional failures in preventing juvenile delinquency” and to prioritize the psychological wellbeing of students over punitive measures.

Citing data from Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) and Development and Philippine National Police, EFD-Mindanao said crimes committed by children account for only two percent of total recorded offenses, with the vast majority categorized as “non-serious.”

“This is not a problem of our youth. Adults in society, primarily the State, have failed our children,” Sr. Concepcion Gasang, Lead Convenor of EFD-Mindanao and a member of the Missionaries of the Assumption, a congregation running several schools, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Gasang said school violence mirrors “a broader societal decay driven by historic, systemic poverty and injustice.”

She said children have become exposed to “normalized violence” that distorts their understanding of accountability and consequence, making them trigger-happy.

“Militarizing educational spaces is not a solution to youth anti-social behavior,” the nun said.

“Targeting school children for police operations only normalizes a punitive orientation toward behavioral health issues. It runs counter to child protection and restorative justice. Children witnessing violence require healing, guided by disciplinary measures that contribute to transformative recovery,” she added.

“Prevention of juvenile delinquency requires heavy State intervention rather than tinkering with the age of criminal responsibility,” according to EFD-Mindanao co-convenor Prof. Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa, a licensed social worker and former DSWD Undersecretary.

Instead of amending Republic Act No. 9344 (The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act) to enforce harsher penalties, EFD-Mindanao demanded that the government:

· Fully fund existing laws: Provide adequate financial and logistical support for victims and professional service providers to boost school service capacities.

· Prioritize school support personnel: Allocate dedicated budgets to hire school guidance counselors, ensuring they are deployed solely for counseling functions.

· Empower local government units (LGUs): Hire and train dedicated LGU-level social workers to appropriately handle violence survivors and manage delinquency prevention initiatives.

· Review the child discernment tool: Introduce an assessment framework that adheres to Filipino psychology.

· Focus on root prevention: Invest heavily in positive discipline, democratic schooling, and creative, scientific parenting programs.

Ancheta-Templa added that instead of “policies that punish youth, build a comprehensive approach that includes substantial funding for mental health resources and urges LGUs to pass ordinances that mobilize resources toward realizing the true intent of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.”

EFD-Mindanao extended its condolences to the victims and families affected by the recent tragedies. (MindaNews)