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NO MORE PLAYTIME
NO MATTER THE GENERATION, children are a reflection of innocence. Although their maturity may sometimes surprise adults, they carry a playful spirit that unapologetically sees the world through rose-colored glasses. It’s a quality that is almost unique to them. Even throughout adulthood, people tend to lean into their “inner child” to reimagine reality or cope with life’s challenges. Children hold an authenticity so easy to mistake for ignorance or naivety, which makes it harder to see they, too, have the right to live a life free of abuse and exploitation.
Remember how we always lose in the very famous “Langit, Lupa”, a known larong Pinoy because we always fall short of reaching Langit (an elevated place) by running away from the Taya (Tag)? Well, these are easily marks of one exhausting but fulfilling childhood. Patintero, piko, luksong baka, and other Pinoy games were the symbol of a child’s freedom and happiness. But, even to this day, not every Filipino child gets to play.
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The country’s juvenile laws have been anti-child since time immemorial. In fact, “children in conflict with the law” have always suffered from poor rehabilitation and stern intervention of authorities. Several administrations have promised to make the Philippines “a safer place for children” but, without fail, it becomes another empty, electioneering pledge.
NEW YEAR , SAME OLD QUANDRY
A film by Kirsi Crowley, an international media broadcaster from Germany, shows the world how
Filipino children are being neglected by the Philippine government. The film showed how street children have ironically made the streets a safe haven from police forces catching them without providing protection and further intervention as provided by the law. If there is anything to blame for the prevalence of juvenile crime, it is the continued neglect of the government to address poverty leading to child labor and its active contribution to perpetuating violent acts against children.
The Human Rights Watch reported in 2018 a total of 101 children were extrajudicially killed or were killed as “collateral damage” in buy-bust operations. The number of children killed in this war on drugs campaign of the Duterte administration has continued to spike until the end of his term. Justice has yet to be served for children who have been killed by state forces. Duterte has been evading criminal cases for his crimes against humanity.
