UNICEF, CRN condemn murder of Ilocos Sur teen

The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday condemned the killing of a 15-year-old girl who earlier filed an acts of lasciviousness complaint against a police officer in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.

In a statement, UNICEF urged the government to increase the capacity of its local police force and barangay workers to ensure that the implementation of the law is done with child-sensitive protocols.

UNICEF said this will “fully safeguard children” and give them the “physical, emotional and psychological support” they need.

“(The 15-year-old girl’s) death is made even more painful by the manner of her passing and the violence she suffered. Society should never be accustomed to such egregious attacks against children. Every child has an inalienable right to live a life without violence and be treated by society with their best interest in mind,” UNICEF said.

As a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF said the Philippines is “duty-bound to uphold children’s right to life and to develop their potentials and capacities, to create a safe environment for children to be heard, and to protect children from all forms of violence."

“UNICEF supports the statement of PNP chief General Archie Gamboa that the perpetrators must be held accountable for the heinous crime committed so that (the 15-year-old girl) and her family will get the justice they deserve,” it said.

“As we experience a new normal in this pandemic, let us not allow (the 15-year-old girl) and countless children who are speaking out against violence to be silenced by our indifference and inaction. We hope that hereon, all children in need of protection and care will be heard and prioritized for swift action and empathetic response,” UNICEF added.

Meanwhile, the Child Rights Network (CRN) also called on the PNP to review its manual of operations in handling cases of child rape and child molestation.

The CRN also urged them to submit a report on how these standard operating procedures are being followed in local police stations.

“This incident cannot and should not be simply swept under the rug and effectively erased in the public’s perception. At a time when the citizenry have no choice but to strictly follow quarantine rules, having state implementers that take advantage of these situations to commit crimes not only put the government in a bad light but severely diminishes the public’s trust in our uniformed personnel,” it said.

The CRN also called on the government to not only thoroughly investigate the crime and obtain justice for the victims, but also to “check its implementation of quarantine rules that expose children to grave danger because of the abuses by people in authority that go unchecked.”

“The government needs to prioritize appropriate, ample, and urgent response to sexual violence. We cannot wait for another (girl) to fall victim to sexual violence and even murder. One life is one too many.” it said.

Earlier, Gamboa said he has directed the Internal Affairs Service to immediately dismiss from the police service the two cops allegedly involved in the killing of the 15-year-old girl.

Police Staff Sergeants Randy Ramos and Marawi Torda have been slapped with murder complaints following the killing of a 15-year-old girl who earlier filed an acts of lasciviousness complaint against one of the cops.

The PNP has said the teenager earlier filed a complaint against Torda for alleged acts of lasciviousness while Ramos was also accused of raping the victim’s 18-year-old cousin.

The two suspects are now under restrictive custody at the Ilocos Sur Police Provincial Office in Bantay town while awaiting further disposition.

According to the Cabugao Municipal Police Station, the two girls were arrested for violating the curfew and were allegedly drunk when the cops attacked them but the 15-year-old victim managed to get away.

Gamboa also ordered Police Regional Office 1 to provide security to the 18-year-old victim and her family and ensure the availability of all PNP prosecution witnesses in court proceedings to expedite the trial as well as administrative procedures. —LDF, GMA News