Deprived of innocence

Children’s violent behaviors were a product of uncontrolled population growth of the Philippines.

A poor couple bore to many children, that they can hardly feed them. Their children need to survive, so these children resort to stealing, and even killing.

A couple having 2 kids can at least feed their kids well, if both of the husband and wife work together. Kids will focus on schooling rather than looking for food. 

Do not blame the government for the violent and criminal behavior of kids. Blame their parents. Blame the Catholic Church for opposing the reproductive health law. Blame the coward, selfish and greedy politicians who were afraid of the Catholic Church’s retaliation against them if they support RH.

Less population, less people compete in the resources. The government can give bigger social and health services if the population is smaller. The government can give more subsidy to the poor, if the population of the poor is lesser. 

Control the population growth, you can control the possible outburst of young people’s violent and criminal behaviors.

Interesting responsible parenting including controlling population is not mentioned in this article. With almost 2 per cent population growth there is no way the government or anybody else can alleviate the sad suffering of the Philippines and will NEVER HAPPENED. THE PHILIPPINES IS DOOM

Population growth in the Philippines is not the problem… the people are. The country has more than enough space and natural resources to support more than 2x of the total population. Discipline, self-respect and respect for others is what most Filipinos lack.. Hence, poverty.

One cannot have discipline, self-respect and respect for others if he/she is hungry. He/She needs to get fed and compete with available FINITE resources of the country. Get out of our isdaparin mentality.

how about instead of incarcerating the child the parent should be the one liable for the offense committed by his child.  i have many children all boys but i can place my money anywhere in the house and even a peso they will give it to me. they only fight back against classmates or friends if they are hurt continuously or bullied. as against my friends who only have 1-3 kids, they are well-behaved. thus the upbringing of a child is what will make him either a good or bad citizen.

What you did to a child he will do the same to society when he becomes an adult. Why can’t our government find effective and efficient ways to help those children? Again, it boils down to the question of why do pork barrels just end up in our politicians pockets and not to solid government programs that will help feed, shelter, and keep those kids in school; and create long term livelihoods for their parents? Why can’t we get out of this morass of misery we are in? STOP CORRUPTION NOW! SHAME AND JAIL THE CORRUPT NOW!

i agree with Ms. Ruiz, that tri-media and the gov’t. has a lot to do with it. With the proliferation of violent computer games and internet access on almost every street corner, which only degrades the morality of our children, plus unmindful parents who are more busy trying to make a living (and who can blame them?) than try and see what their kids are up to.

i believe it boils down to both child-friendly programs and regulations of accessible media. And this can be implemented down to the baranggay level. Internet shop owners too should self-regulate, as a social responsibility, and in the absence of concrete policies against internet media access for children and minors. And most importantly, strong parenting skills.

Parents of minors who happen to violate the law (knowingly or not) must be the ones to answer to the authorities while their children must be rehabilitated.

RH bill will address some of these issues. A family with limited resources can provide more per child if they have fewer children. These will translate into higher chances of going to school and ultimately becoming a productive member of society.

One other thing …

You provide an environment lacking on many things — food on the table, decency of shelter & environment, strong sense of morality among adults, adequate resources for livelihood – and you will only get this kind of children. Worst, if these children remain this way and live long enough , you can only imagine the kind of future our society will have.  

Evil thrives when good men (and government) do nothing.  

what do you mean “we have more than enough space and natural resources”?

eh sa ngayon nga import tayo nang import ng rice, fruits and other food products, lumber at iba pang basic materials kasi we cannot produce what we need tapos sasabihin mong we have enough resources to support 2x our population? saan ka ba nakatira?

That kind of thinking is immoral, and you are a murdering terrorist according to some anti-RH attack dogs.

isdaparin, I suggest thinking things through before posting.

The issue is JUSTICE no matter where one looks at it. Ms. Jacquiline
Ruiz has presented her case well and her response to the editorial is a
useful input in dealing with the problem.
Questions to ponder:

1.) Is it just then to reduce the juvenile age starting at age 9 as
proposed by Sen. Chiz Escudero that will subject a youngster to be
convicted of a crime and serve a prison term?

2.) Is it just to blame government of its neglect to protect the rights
of children? Or, is it merely the parents’ fault for failing to look
after their child sidetracked to commit a crime?

3.) Is it just to convict the juvenile delinquent for a crime he or she
did not have any other alternative because the child is extremely hungry
and tired of begging?

The above questions are critical to be addressed in deciding whether the
juvenile age for crimes committed by youngsters be reduced to nine
years of age.

My position on the questions are these -

1) A youngster will be traumatized by the restraint of freedom similar
to a child locked inside a room or cabinet and where he or she gets
nervous and afraid of the dark. A jail is not a place for
rehabilitation. A youngster who falls into this situation will become a
hardened criminal like adults who got worse inside the penitentiary.

2) Yes, I agree with Ms. Jacquiline Ruiz that it is primarily the
government’s responsibility before the parents’ to protect the rights of
children under our Constitution – rights that need funding and
effective implementation. If the youngster is happy because he lives a
life of a normal kid provided with shelter, place to live and sleep and
whose parents are earning from employment or livelihood, that youngster
will not be waylaid to the streets begging or doing petty crimes.

3) Hunger and lack of sleep are the worst symptoms of a person in a bad
psychological state. A youngster out in the streets will not be in his
normal self when he or she is suffering from extreme hunger and
malnutrition. Most of them turn to escape solutions like solvent abuse
and later drug abuse. No, these youngsters need psychological help and
not incarceration.

If in a neighborhood where there are many children almost squeezed on a
small space of land are able to go to school regularly, receive basic
proper nutrition, have a shelter where they can sleep well even on
floors, and whose parents are modestly employed or happily running a
small livelihood business, you can be ascertained that this neighborhood
does not have a problem of juvenile delinquency. Their secret? HUMILITY
and being HAPPY with WHATEVER they have.

On the other hand, children of rich families can be juvenile
delinquents, too when the atmosphere at home is one where parents do not
care and are busy with their businesses or pleasure trips.Their
children fend for themselves and can have as much money as they want.
They still can become “criminals” in the same category as the
out-of-school street kids whose parents are busy trying to make ends
meet because there are no jobs and their children cannot even go to
school because there is no money for uniforms, school supplies, and
baon. Population control cannot solve these scenarios inside the home of
either the rich and poor family.