14-year-old Tacloban shooting suspect remains in rehab facility

TACLOBAN CITY – The 14-year-old boy identified by authorities as one of the suspects in the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School (SJNHS) here remains under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at a rehabilitation facility in Tanauan, Leyte, a regional official said.

DSWD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Grace Subong stated this following reports that the boy, identified only by the alias “Nash,” was no longer at the facility.

“As far as we are concerned, the 14-year-old is still with DSWD at the rehabilitation facility, including the 15-year-old, and both continue to undergo assessment and interventions,” Subong said in a media interview.

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READ: Tacloban prosecs to file criminal raps vs 15-yr-old boy over school shooting

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The clarification came after the parents of the three students killed in the shooting sought assurance that the younger suspect remained at the facility.

The parents also asked to see the 14-year-old, but the DSWD reportedly turned down their request.

Erbea Fabia, mother of slain student Cris Lorenz Fabian, said the parents were not seeking to enter the facility but only wanted confirmation that the boy remained under DSWD custody.

“We will not go inside the facility, even if we are from afar. All we want is an assurance that he is still there,” Fabia said.

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Subong said access to the facility is restricted to protect the welfare and security of other minors under DSWD care.

“We have to protect others, not just them. Rest assured that we will provide updates on the status of the two minors,” Subong said.

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She also emphasized that the facility focuses on the children’s rehabilitation. Some of them have been able to continue their education and even graduate from college, she added.

The two minors were placed under DSWD custody following the June 22 shooting at SJNHS that left three students dead and several others injured.

Witnesses identified the 14-year-old as the alleged shooter, while the 15-year-old was charged with murder and multiple counts of serious physical injuries.

The different legal treatment is due to the country’s juvenile justice system.

Under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, a child aged15 years old or below at the time of the commission of an offense is exempt from criminal liability. A child above 15 but below 18 may be held criminally liable if the child acted with discernment.

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Exemption from criminal liability does not mean that a child is released without intervention. The law provides for appropriate intervention and rehabilitation measures for children in conflict with the law, with emphasis on their welfare and rehabilitation./coa