Children laws hamper police work vs TBS gang

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

PRESENT laws governing children in conflict with the law are affecting efforts by law enforcers to bring them to justice for the crimes they committed.

S/Supt. Dennis Basngi, Iloilo City Police Office director, said while they want to nail down members of the dreaded TBS-13 gang for cabbie robbery and killings and other crimes they committed, “we are constrained by the provisions of the law on minor offenders.”

Basngi was referring to Republic Act 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006) which sets the rules in dealing with minors involved in crimes.

Under this law, children below 18 years old who commit crime cannot be deemed as ordinary criminals and must undergo rehabilitation before they face trial.

Basngi said while the police are monitoring the TBS-13 gang’s movements and activities they cannot just arrest them because of the law.

“If we arrest them, we cannot bring them to court because we have to wait until they are of the majority age, which is 18 years old,” he added.

In order to prevent gangsters from influencing the youth, Basngi said they will mount symposia in schools regarding the concern.

“We will inform the teachers, students and their parents on how to spot and stop gangsters from recruiting our young people. They must know about their mannerisms, identifying marks and the likes. The police is doing all it can do to prevent them from committing crimes but we must also go back to our schools and homes to stop these gangs from recruiting more neophytes,” he added.

The ICPO will also dialogue with taxi drivers on how to spot TBS members and other gangs.

Basngi said TBS members and neophytes out for targets for their initiation rites are usually in groups of three or four.

“It’s easy to spot them because one of them might look or act mature while the rest are like baguhan or newbies. Our drivers should be extra cautious when a group like this hails them for a ride,” the ICPO chief said.

The ICPO speakers’ bureau will go the rounds Iloilo City starting next week, Basngi said.