Manual To Aid Prosecutors in Handling Child Related Cases
14 February 2008
Children have rights, too. Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, wherein the Philippines is a signatory, children are entitled to protection by the State. In heeding this international agreement, several laws to protect children’s rights have been passed by the Philippine Congress, taking into account the special needs and attributes of children, their size, age and vulnerability.
And to address these special attributes of children, a prosecutors’ manual in handling child-related cases is soon to be distributed to prosecutors nationwide.
In line with the project, "Enhancing Capacities of Prosecutors in Handling Child-Related Cases", a prosecutors’ manual was produced to equip family court prosecutors with a guide on the proper handling of children’s cases.
Funded by The Asia Foundation (TAF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Special Committee for the Protection of Children in partnership with the Child Protection Unit Network is producing 2000 copies of these manuals for dissemination to all prosecution offices.
In April 2007, Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez issued Department Order No. 306 creating a committee to draft the prosecutors’ manual, its members, consisting of experienced prosecutors who have been handling children’s cases and members of the Task Force on Women and Children. The manual was launched during the 110th DOJ anniversary.
This prosecutors' manual is a compendium of laws and Department issuances involving the investigation and prosecution of children’s cases. It lists down the different situations of the child’s involvement in the criminal justice system and aims to provide the user with a guide to legal procedures, remedies and practical tips.
Consisting of 12 titles, the manual deals with the different aspects of the child: his or her rights, his or her involvement in the judicial process and the remedies that are available to him or her either as victim, witness or offender.
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