Email to the president of the Philippines

Sent: Friday, 1 August 2003 12:33 PM
Subject: “Children in Detention”

The President Of The Philippines
Her Excellency
Gloria Macapagal Aroyoro

Dear Madam President

Good morning (Magandang Umaga)

We write to you for the concern of every child being held in Prisons by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. It has come to our notice that children in these institutions are
being kept in the most undesirable conditions and this despite existing domestic safeguards.

We are very concerned if not slightly appalled by the way that the children are treated by the controlling authorities, by personal experience both at the Lumbia jail in Cagayan de Oro, and in Iligan City having recently spent time in both Cities working with Indigent peoples as Rotary Volunteers for a period of three months.

Our concern is that there are a number of worrying omissions in domestic law that leave children open to abuse torture and ill-treatment. There is a shocking discrepancy between the youth justice system on paper and that exercised in actual practice.

We plead with you for the sake of the children, with your power, to perhaps take the necessary following actions to have investigated impartially any allegations of torture or mistreatment of children on arrest or in detention and those found responsible for such abuse brought to justice.

Please if possible ensure that child detainees are kept separately from adult prisoners.

That parents or social workers are immediately informed of the child’s arrest.

Also that children detained for whatever reason have access to legal services and are brought promptly before a judicial authority.

Urgently, strictly enforce the law prohibiting the sentencing of child offenders to DEATH.

And that while children are held in detention that they receive adequate:

Respect and be Treated with Dignity
Quality Care from the Arresting Authorities.
The Right to Individual Identity.
Adequate Nutrition and Medical Cafe.
To be able to continue their Education.
To enjoy Recreation and Play without Fear
Protection from Hunger, Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.
Special care if handicapped.
Perhaps some unannounced visits by your Excellency, to these intuitions might confirm our concerns.

We sincerely hope that you will keep us informed of any steps taken to improve the children in detention their conditions, and in the meanwhile thank you.

Children are our future.

We remain
Yours sincerely,

Michael and Nery Murrel