CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Fear is a strong medium of control in the society for it could be a great source of

manipulation among its people. This is because to be feared is preferred than to be loved

(Machiavelli, 1532) due to the tendency of individuals to conspire against a good leader

rather than a dictator, for the fear of dying – or living a difficult life caused by rebellion.

In the Philippines, the present administration governed by Rodrigo Roa Duterte is

gathering plenty of allegations regarding the extrajudicial killings (EJK) – or also known

as “political killings”. These are accomplished executions and assassinations which are

mostly anonymously-prosecuted – without going through the sanction of law or court

(Gonzales, 2007). Far in which started shortly after his proclamation as the new president

last June 30, 2016. It was then rumored that these murders were all part of Duterte’s plan

to create a drug-free Philippines; which he blatantly declared after his election that he

would kill 100,000 criminals within his first six months in the office (Domingo, 2016).

Therefore, the homicide cases were all pinned under his name in consequence of his

explicit public announcements. However, the question whether Duterte is held responsible

for these killings and atrocities remain as mere allegations and unproven.

According to the Philippine National Police (2018) data, there are approximately

25,000 homicide cases under investigation and in barely two years, only 45.5 percent are

nondrug-related, recorded from July 1, 2016 to June 11, 2018. These are all unresolved

cases under the Duterte administration. Nevertheless, there is no concrete evidence that
these injustices were orchestrated by the president himself. There are plenty of accusations,

but all remain unentertained and unsupported.

Along with these unresolved cases of homicide, there is also an existence of

juvenile delinquency – or also known as Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL). It is a

legal term which addresses minors who have committed a criminal act (Romig, Cleland, &

Romig, 1989). The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (R.A. 9344, Sec. 4, 2006) specifies

the age eighteen (18) and below as the qualifying age of juvenile delinquents. This act

governs the appropriate proceedings for the CICL which includes services for prevention,

diversion, rehabilitation, reintegration and aftercare (Bocar, 2014).

Given this national status quo, I have taken interest toward the juvenile delinquents’

awareness and attitude on drug-related problems and alleged extrajudicial killings, and

whether it affects their perceptions about the future and their personal life chances.

Considering that they have already committed deeds which are contrary to the law and

were incarcerated for doing so; the existence of consistently increasing rate of alleged

extrajudicial killings endangers them.

Now in context of everything that is happening in the present day; with the

merciless murders and strict implementation of laws, this research paper would like to

explore if the juvenile delinquents are aware of the current national status. Specifically, the

drug problem in the Philippines in relation to the extrajudicial killings – and if it has any

significant changes upon their perceptions about the future. A series of questions are to be

answered upon this research, but it is mainly focused on the attitude of the juvenile

delinquents toward the extrajudicial killings.

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 As Jose Rizal – the Philippines’ national hero once said, “Ang kabataan ang pag-

asa ng bayan.” translated as, “The youth is the hope of the country.” This statement brings

about a few inquiries with regards to the possible outcome of the Duterte administration.

Will fear manipulate the youth? Or will the youth induce fear in the future?

Framework of the Study and Review of Related Literature

This section deals with the conceptual framework of the study and the related

literatures deemed relevant to the topic being investigated. The readings are organized

under the following headings: 1) juvenile delinquents, 2) drug-related problems, 3)

extrajudicial killings, 4) awareness and attitudes, and 5) life chances.

Juvenile Delinquents

The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (R.A. 9344, Sec. 4, 2006) specifies the age

eighteen (18) and below as the qualifying age for juvenile delinquents in the Philippines.

However, it is not exactly specified on what age or what age bracket delinquency is most

salient for the juveniles.

The Save the Children UK (2004) conducted three researches across the

Philippines and consequently published a book entitled Breaking Rules: Children in

Conflict with the Law and the Juvenile Justice Process – The Experience in the

Philippines. Here, it was identified that the average age of children in conflict with the

law (CICL) is 14.4. Far in which if compared to the National Institute of Justice (2005)

data, offenders are usually aged 13 and under. Those who firstly committed crimes at the

age of 13 and under were identified as “young starters” while those who have committed

their first crimes at the age of 15 or higher were identified as “late starters”.

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 Sex and Social Class. A study by Gutierrez and Shoemaker (2008) entitled Self-

Reported Delinquency of High School Students in Metro Manila highlights gender and

social class as one of the most important social categories which are linked to social

behavior. Here, they have identified female delinquency to be less prevalent and serious

compared to male delinquency. Thus, considering the finding, this study rather focuses

on male juvenile delinquents as respondents for the research.

Contrary to this data, a book by Chesney-Lind and Shelden (1998) entitled; Girls,

Delinquency, and Juvenile Justice narrates that:

“Criminology has long suffered from what Jessie Bernard has called the ‘stag

effect’ (Cited in Smith, 1992:218). It has attracted male scholars who wanted to

study and understand outlaw men, hoping perhaps that some of the romance and

fascination of this role will rub off. As a result, what came to be known as the

field of criminology was actually the study of male crime and, largely, male

victimization” (p. 73).

This passage points out male victimization as one of the results of the numerous

studies focused on men. It questions whether male delinquency rate is legitimately higher

compared to females. But based on Prison-Insider (2017) data, there are approximately

12,658 female prisoners out of 142,168 in the Philippines. Far in which, it comprises only

8.9 percent of the prison population in early 2016 (World Prison Brief, 2016). Thus, even

though girls and women population in prison around the world had grown for more than

50 percent (Curry, 2017), male delinquency is still relatively high in number.

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 Educational attainment. In the Philippines, a study conducted by Aldaba-Lim

(1969) found that among the 50 juvenile delinquents studied; 38 percent were still at

school, while the 62 percent were all drop-outs who have not attended school for the past

two years or more. It was also stated that grade six was the average educational level for

those who are still in school. Usually, by the time a juvenile delinquent had committed a

crime – he or she have already dropped out of school after primary or intermediate level

of elementary education (Carlota & Carlota, 1985).

Reasons for being in the institution. According to Romig, Cleland, and Romig

(1989), shoplifting and burglary are the most common criminal offenses of juvenile

delinquents most especially in the United States.

In the Philippines, there are six common crimes committed by the juveniles which

were identified by the Philippine National Police (2000). There are (1) robbery and theft

or property related crimes with the percentage of 52.5, (2) drug-related crimes with 13.9

percent, (3) rape and acts of lasciviousness with 12 percent, (4) other crimes with 11

percent, (5) physical injuries with 8 percent, and lastly (6) murder and homicide with 2.5

percent.

The same studies conducted by Save the Children UK (2004) as stated earlier,

found three major types of common offences committed by the juvenile delinquents in

the Philippines. Namely (1) offences against property which involves snatching and

shoplifting, (2) substance abuse, and (3) violation of local ordinances like curfew and

vagrancy.

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 Comparing these data, it shows concrete evidence that offences committed by

juvenile delinquents are similar across the nation. There are mainly property crimes –

specifically theft including its different types, other petty crimes, and drug-related abuse.

Influences. There are four main factors identified by Villanueva (2006) which

influence the upbringing of juvenile delinquents. These factors are namely; (1) the family

or the basic unit of society where an individual experience their first socialization and

where they spend their formative years; (2) the environment or the surrounding which

helps shape the associations of the youth to being a delinquent; (3) the school, an

institution often used as a training ground to build character development for children;

and (4) other departments or agencies of the government – these are the other

representations which could influence the youth to become a delinquent.

Family. A study conducted by Carlota and Carlota (1985) found that the attitudes

of juvenile delinquents toward their parents vary. They are quite reserved and hesitant

upon disclosing information with regards to the father, whilst they are more open upon

talking about the mother.

Another article entitled Juvenile Delinquency (2003) as cited in the study of

Bocar, Mercado, Macahis, and Serad (2014) found that children who lack parental

supervision are more likely to engage in criminal activities. It is also elaborated in this

study that families who are already involved in activities contrary to the law tend to

influence the younger members toward the same kinds of activities. This is supported by

the study of Green (2005), which found that the parents are one of the primary causes of

juvenile delinquency. Because when children affiliate with criminals, the probability of

them to consequently commit a crime increases (National Institute of Justice, 2005).

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 In addition, to elaborate the study of Villanueva (2006) he identified five (5)

influences of the family which increase a child’s tendency to become a delinquent. These

are (1) the faulty development of the child, (2) the lack of parental guidance or

supervision, (3) the lack of maternal affection, (4) the unfair treatment between siblings,

and (5) is the parental rejection and/or the broken home.

Environment. Related to the previous subtopic, the family is already established

as the initial socialization of a child. Thus, family violence is viewed as a major factor for

children to be exposed at offending (Save the Children UK, 2004). However, the children

can also be influenced by their peers and associates (Bocar et al., 2014). In the study of

Aldaba-Lim (1969), she found that 80 percent of her respondents belong to a gang or

colloquially known as “barkada”. Cloward and Ohlin (2007) identified this deviant

subculture into three particular kinds: (1) the criminal subculture which is a type of gang

committed to illegal means of securing income, (2) the conflict subculture which is a type

of gang that uses manipulation of violence to secure or win a status, and lastly is (3) the

retreatist subculture which is a type of gang engaging in drug consumption and the like.

All in all, so long as there are no drug-abusing peers or the environment where the

child is exposed to has strong antidrug norms – the child is less likely to become a drug

abuser (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2003)

School. The school is one of the venues for socializing children and the youths

(Binder, Geis, & Bruce, 1988). As initially stated in the previous subtopic of educational

attainment, the juvenile delinquents tend to drop out after primary education. This is

probably because of their “dislike for school” attitude prevailed in the study of Carlota

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and Carlota (1985) – stating that they would rather spend time with peers than to go to

school.

A case study by Donges (2015) hypothesized that the anticipated performance of

juvenile delinquents upon self-efficacy in education would fall below average

academically. They have showed a negative image of self in school and they describe

their grades as failures despite having academic success. This finding also coincides with

the arguments of Glover, Gough, and Cartwright (2000) cited in the same study.

Other departments or agencies of the government. One of the arguments by

Wolfgang and Feracutti (1977) as cited in the study of Gutierrez and Shoemaker (2007)

says that the rate of violence is relatively higher in Western and developing countries;

which evidently qualifies the Philippines. This is mainly because poverty – an identified

major factor affecting the CICL was found as the root cause of survival offending (Save

the Children UK, 2004). Survival offending is the act of perpetrating acts contrary to the

law for the sole purpose of endurance upon impoverishment.

Given that the Philippines is a developing country, it was identified that most

juvenile delinquents belong to the lower socioeconomic status (SES). This statement

could be explained by Robert Merton’s strain and anomie theory of crime and deviance

which posits that crime and deviancy are more prevalent in lower SES compared to other

classes due to the position they hold within the society.

Drug-Related Problems.

Problems related to the use of approved or illicit drugs has always been vague in

definition and class. The journal article by Fishman, Bruner, and Adger (1997) utilized

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the term substance abuse to address all of the substance use disorders in general including

the abuse and dependence on drugs which increased over the past five years.

The etiology of drug abuse or dependence is dynamic between the psychological

and biological factors (Li & Lin, 1998). However, it was already established that the

environment; both family and peers are the most powerful factors which can influence a

child toward this behavior. Mere having a family history of drug abuse, already puts a

child in risk for the same (National Institute in Drug Abuse, 2003).

The drug-related problem in the Philippines remains unmagnified until the

Duterte administration took over. In a news article written by Subingsubing and Ramos

(2018), it was identified that there is a correlation among the number of relieved

policemen, drug personalities killed in drug operations, and homicide cases under

investigation (HCUIs). These constellations remain as allegations and unentertained,

however, it is undeniable that there is indeed a connection or a pattern in the police chief

assignments and the rate of killings. The policemen might be stigmatized with regards

their behavior toward people involved in drugs – may it be users, pushers or distributors;

but the president insisted that they will not go into court for performing their job on the

war on drugs. Far in which is a malicious statement taken by course.

Classifications. An article by Bemt and Egberts (2007) identified two classes of

drug-related problems: (1) the intrinsic toxicity which they have defined as the result of

the interaction of the pharmaceutical, chemical and/or pharmacological properties of the

drug with human biosystem, and (2) the extrinsic toxicity which addresses the problems

caused by either the healthcare professional or by the patient.

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 Fishman et al. (1997) further discussed in their study that alcohol and other drug

(AOD) is a major contributor in the deterioration of health and status, and morbidity and

mortality among adolescents and young adults. Here, they were able to identify the

common characteristic of all substances: the capability to produce euphoria and

manipulate a person’s perception of reality.

Extrajudicial Killings.

As defined by Saijan (2014), “extrajudicial killing is the unlawful or illegal killing

of an individual by either the State government or the State authorities like the armed

forces, the police or criminals without following the due process of justice or without the

permission of court” (p. 72). It remains unsolved not just here in the Philippines, but also

in many other developing countries such as Indonesia and Nigeria (Nasir, 2017).

Victims. According to the reports of Parreño (2011) on the Philippine

Extrajudicial Killings, since political activists are affiliated with groups that are

communist-influenced, they became a center of attention of the Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP). Same goes for the journalists, given that they tend to expose the

political and societal backdrops – they became a target of the AFP because of their power

to uncover and shape the public opinion.

In the Parreño Extra Judicial Killing Audit dated August 15, 2010, most of the

EJK victims are officer-member of an activist group with a percentage of 32. It is then

followed by the elected government officials with 15 percent and another 15 for the

journalists.

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 Perpetrators. Anyone has the power to conduct extrajudicial killings. It could be a

private person acting on his or her own interests, up to the special armed groups which

are usually governed by the state itself (Lanfer, 2010).

Using the same audit of Parreño, there is a spiking 57 percent of unidentified

armed men who perpetrate these killings. It is then followed by the military with 19

percent, the rebels ranking next with 12 percent and then the police with 9 percent.

Causes. According to Nasir (2017), there are five causes of extrajudicial killings.

Namely; (1) the government inactiveness, (2) the judicial corruption – probably the most

salient one worldwide, (3) the police ineffectiveness or the incompetence of the

supposedly defense group of the nation, (4) unemployment which encourages people to

commit crime, thus leads to more killings – and lastly, (5) the aim of criminal justice and

concept of punishment.

In the Philippines, the alleged extrajudicial executions are concentrated in the

National Capital Region (NCR); namely Caloocan City, Quezon City, Marikina, Manila,

Mandaluyong City, Pasig City and Pasay City (Amnesty International, 2017). It all

started when Duterte administration implemented Oplan Tokhang (Operation Knock and

Plead). It is an anti-drugs plan also known as Operation Double Barrel wherein the police

and the barangay officials are to compile a “drug watch list”. From this list, people who

were associated with drugs must confess to spare themselves from being arrested,

however, some did not. For those who tried to resist or as how the policemen would refer

as “retaliating the arrest”, they are opted to shoot the alleged criminal without due

process. Far in which, is highly encouraged by the president himself – granting none of

the police will go to jail for the justification that “they are only doing their job”.

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Awareness and Attitudes

A study of Parena (2017) explored the stance of children toward the alleged

extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Here, he was able to discover that the news and

the internet are one of the few sources where the children gathered awareness upon this

national issue. Having to be aware about the alleged extrajudicial killings, the

respondents (children) felt sad and were afraid for their personal security. They also

expressed a negative attitude toward the killings, and sentiments that it should be stopped

for this is a form of injustice.

Contrary to this attitude, the Philippines is now infested with a generation of

Filipinos who know nothing about the dictatorship of Marcos, the atrocities of Arroyo

and the dynasty of the Aquinos, (Domingo, 2016). They are somewhat accepting to the

idea that drugs are one of the root causes of the ills in the Philippine society, therefore,

some people deserve to be sacrificed for others to live a better life.

Life Chances

Weber (1922) firstly coined the term social class and he identified the levels of it.

It is basically the division of society based on the social and economic status (SES) they

possess. This may include the notion of life chances, which is the analysis of class and

status upon the range of life opportunities for an individual in the society.

In Philippine context, the effectiveness of the Duterte administration has been a

great influence upon the SES of the Filipinos. It does not only affect the kind of

government the president facilitates but the whole country itself. There is a question

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whether the war on drugs really pays off the benefits – if there is any – towards the

people. As quoted from a report of Count the Costs Organization:

“The failure of this policy is creating a range of terrible social and economic costs

affecting all our communities, and targeting the most vulnerable members of

society – the poor, the young, and the socially marginalized – while producing

few, if any, meaningful benefits” (p. 2).

If closely examined, this passage takes into consideration the possible effects of

the Duterte administration upon the life chances and opportunities of the Filipinos and the

next generation who will inherit and experience this kind of government.

Synthesis

To summarize, the socio-demographic profile of the juvenile delinquents which

includes the age, sex and gender, educational attainment and reasons for being in the

institution are all factors which at some point coincide to narrate the composition of life

experiences and personal disposition of a juvenile delinquent.

Considering all of these components upon understanding their levels of awareness

and attitudes toward the drug-related problems and alleged extrajudicial killings the

Philippines experiences today; this may give us an insightful idea and discoveries upon

the intensity of the effects of this issue toward the delinquent Filipino youth. Other than

that, it may provide new knowledge with regards to the stigmatized image of the juvenile

delinquents for it is already a given fact that they are in conflict with the law – and this

gathers negative attitude toward them.

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 However, it does not negate the fact that they are actually the ones who are most

in trouble with the present status quo of the Philippines. Their lives might be put in

danger considering the alleged extrajudicial killings without being granted of due

process. The Philippines has already experienced plenty of forms of oppression and

atrocities, but never in history were children considered as criminals.

Awareness
Toward drug-related problems
and extrajudicial killings:
Juvenile Delinquents
• High
Socio-Demographic Profile • Low
• Age
Attitudes
• Sex
Toward drug-related problems
• Religion and extrajudicial killings:

• Family background • Positive attitude

• Negative attitude
• Educational attainment
Perception
• Number of years in the institution
• of the future
• Reasons for being in the institution • life chances

Figure 1. A schematic diagram showing the variables of the study.

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 Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know the level of awareness and attitudes of juvenile delinquents

toward the drug-related problems and the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

Likewise, it seeks to know the impact to their perception of the future and personal life

chances.

Specifically, this study targets to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the juvenile delinquents in terms of their:

a. Age

b. Sex

c. Family background:

i. Birth order

ii. Number of siblings

iii. Parent(s) or Guardian(s)

d. Educational attainment

e. Number of years in the institution

f. Reasons for being in the institution

2. How aware are the juvenile delinquents about the drug-related problems and the

alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines?

3. What are their attitudes toward drugs and the alleged extrajudicial killings under

the Duterte administration?

4. How do the alleged extrajudicial killings affect their perception of the future and

personal life chances?

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 Objectives of the Study

Generally, the goal of this study is to know the level of awareness and attitudes of

the juvenile delinquents toward the drug-related problems, the alleged extrajudicial killings

in the Philippines, and its possible effects and significant changes upon their perceptions

of the future.

Specifically, this study aims to:

1. To determine the profile of the juvenile delinquents in terms of their:

a. Age

b. Sex

c. Religion

d. Family background:

i. Birth order

ii. Number of siblings

iii. Parent(s) or Guardian(s)

e. Educational attainment

f. Number of years in the institution

g. Reasons for being in the institution

2. To know their level of awareness with regards the drug-related problems and the

alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

3. To determine their attitudes toward drugs and the alleged extrajudicial killings

under the Duterte administration.

4. To describe how the current drug related problems and extrajudicial killings in the

country affect their perception of the future and perceived life chances.

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 Definition of Terms

A. Conceptual Definition of Terms

Attitude – a set of beliefs that we hold towards an object, person, thing, event

or issue which could represent our personal disposition upon the addressed

subject, although not all the time (Sevilla, Punsalan, Rovira, & Vendivel,

2006).

Awareness – refers to a consciousness of internal or external events or

experiences (Nugent, 2013).

Extrajudicial Killings – executions and assassinations which are mostly

anonymously-prosecuted – without going through the sanction of law or

court (Gonzales, 2007).

Juvenile Delinquents – minors who have committed a criminal act (Romig,

Cleland, & Romig, 1989).

Life Chances – is a political theory coined by Max Weber to refer to the

opportunities each individual has to improve his or her quality of life

(Definition.net, n.d.)

Perception – the mental process of becoming aware of or recognizing an

object or idea; primarily cognitive rather than affective or conative,

although all three aspects are manifested (Farlex Dictionary, 2012).

B. Operational Definition of Terms

Attitude – the cognitive disposition of the juvenile delinquents toward the

alleged extrajudicial killings, could be in favor, not in favor, or indifferent.

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 Awareness – the respondents’ level of consciousness with regards to the

alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

Extrajudicial Killings – executions of rumored drug suspects allegedly

perpetuated by government authorities or vigilantes, without the sanction

of any judicial proceedings or legal process.

Juvenile Delinquents – the sample group from Regional Rehabilitation Center

for the Youth (RRCY) who participated in the study.

Life Chances – a personal set of notions perceived by the juvenile delinquents

concerning their future opportunities with regards to their survival in the

current social status in the society.

Perception – a personal view and interpretation of the juvenile delinquents

about the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study is descriptive in nature which primarily explores the levels of

awareness and attitudes of juvenile delinquents toward the drug-related problems and the

alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. The participants were male children in

conflict with the law (CICL) or also known as juvenile delinquents, from ages 15 to 23,

and are under the custody of Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (RRCY) in

Concordia, Nueva Valencia in the municipality of Guimaras, Iloilo.

One limitation I have identified is that the respondents somehow find it difficult

to understand the questionnaire due to language barrier. The respondents came from the

different parts of Western Visayas and most of them vary in dialect. Thus, despite of

providing a Filipino and Hiligaynon translations for the questionnaire, they were still

18
incomprehensible to some extent because the respondents can barely understand some of

the words included. Therefore, I had to rephrase and further explain the questions in order

to make them understand the context of the questions. But the participants were

cooperative, and they raised questions when they cannot understand the questionnaire

that is why I was able to gather all the information I needed. In line with the difficulty of

the respondents in comprehension, I noticed that they do not have enough knowledge

about the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. They do not refer to it as EJK

but rather “tokhang” or “patayan or patyanay”. The translation of words is quite difficult

due to the restriction of my own vocabulary to theirs, thus I had to exert extra effort upon

talking to them.

EJK is apparently a controversial issue in the country that is why some of the

respondents appeared to be hesitant upon answering – despite of my assurance of

anonymity. Another limitation I have identified is that they were somehow not

comfortable talking about how they really see this subject, because they fear that they

might not give the right words to say although I have made it clear that there is none. The

fear of disclosing detailed information with regards to how they really perceive this issue

may influence the data gathered.

Lastly, I am emphasizing that the findings in this study is only valid and

applicable pertaining to the respondents from the institution of RRCY in Guimaras. It

cannot be generalized among all the CICL and this serves true only for the sample. The

individual views and perceptions of each respondent might vary, and it does not reflect

thorough knowledge of the legitimate status of the country.

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 Significance of the Study

There are plenty of studies with regards the juvenile delinquents or children in

conflict with the law (CICL). These studies mostly focus on their resocialization or the

reasons why they have committed crimes. However, there are only a few ones which

deals with their attitude and perception toward the relevant issues in the society –

whereas for this study is the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Therefore,

findings in this study provides new data on the already existing knowledge about the

juvenile delinquents.

The main importance of this study is that the CICL were given voice to what they

think and how they feel toward a certain national issue. Which often than not, their

statements are being ignored due to the fact that they are seen as deviants by the society.

In addition, it contributes useful information to the parents, the social workers, the NGOs,

the government institutions and hopefully the present administration itself. May it

provide relevant insights with regards how the Philippine government could greatly affect

even the isolated collectives whom are still part of the Filipino masses.

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