DSWD: Rehabilitation of 14-year-old Tacloban shooting suspect could take years

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Wednesday that the rehabilitation of the 14-year-old suspect in the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City could take years, while a separate legal process is underway to determine whether the 15-year-old suspect may be held criminally liable.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in an interview on Balitanghali that both minors are now under government custody following the incident, which left three students dead and several others injured.

The younger suspect is currently housed at a Rehabilitation Center for the Youth, where social workers are conducting assessments and preparing a long-term intervention plan.

“Well, nasa Rehabilitation Center for the Youth natin sila. Right now, well ’yung below 15 years old, kasi dalawa sila ’no, magkaiba ’yung age bracket. ’Yung 14-year-old, may mga interventions ’yan kaagad.”

(Well, they are in our Rehabilitation Center for the Youth. Right now, the one below 15 years old—because there are two of them and they belong to different age brackets—the 14-year-old is already receiving interventions.)

“The social workers, based on the intake assessment, will come up with an intervention plan. And that intervention plan is not something that will happen quickly; it will take a long time,” Gatchalian said.

He stressed that the rehabilitation process would be extensive.

“Sisiguraduhin natin na mare-rehabilitate bago natin pagpasyahan anong gagawin sa kaniya pero it will take years, it will take years.”

(We will make sure he is rehabilitated before deciding what will be done with him, but it will take years.)

For the 15-year-old suspect, Gatchalian said authorities are determining whether the child acted with discernment, a key factor in establishing criminal liability under Philippine law.

“Ngayon ’yung lagpas 15 years old, ’yung 15-year-old na ilang araw ang nilagpas, ’yun ’yung ngayon dadaan sa legal proceedings para ma-check kung meron ’yang discernment.”

(Now, the one who is over 15 years old—the 15-year-old who exceeded the age threshold by a few days—will undergo legal proceedings to determine whether he acted with discernment.)

The DSWD chief said the 15-year-old could face criminal charges if discernment is established.

Gatchalian also assured the families of the victims that the suspects would remain in government facilities and would not immediately return to their community.

“Hindi na ’yan babalik sa komunidad nila, not in the immediate future,” he said.

(They will not be returning to their community, not in the immediate future.)

He said the facilities housing the minors are specifically intended for children in conflict with the law and are separate from centers for abused or neglected children.

Gatchalian added that while rehabilitation remains the priority, failure to show remorse or behavioral change could carry consequences later on.

“Kapag hindi namin ma-rehabilitate at sabihin ng mga social worker, hindi nagbago, pagdating na ng age of maturity, ikukulong rin siya.”

(If we are unable to rehabilitate him and social workers determine that he has not changed, he may still be imprisoned once he reaches the age of maturity.)

Meanwhile, the DSWD has deployed social workers to assist affected families and provide psychosocial interventions for students, teachers and the wider school community as they cope with the aftermath of the tragedy.

Gatchalian said the agency will continue working with mental health experts, local authorities and partner institutions to support victims and help prevent similar incidents in the future.—MCG, GMA News