DSWD: Lapu police mishandled child

Social welfare officials in Lapu-Lapu City questioned the city police’s interrogation of the 7-year-old boy who claimed to have witnessed the drowning of 7-year-old Joshua Veloso in barangay Buaya, Lapu-Lapu City, last Feb. 29.

In an interview, Mark Bao, social worker assistant of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Lapu-Lapu City said the boy’s affidavit as facilitated by the police is “inadmissible” in court.

Bao said the execution of an affidavit involving a minor should be done in the presence of social workers.

The affidavit was reportedly executed by investigators of the police’s Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD).

The desk also executed the affidavit of the 11-year-old who pushed Joshua into the waters.

Joshua, whose mother didn’t press charges against the underage bullies who harassed him, didn’t know how to swim.

Police investigators said they found the 7-year-old boy’s account of the incident as “inconsistent” when they interrogated him.

In a previous interview, PO1 Judith Sinadjan of the WCPD said they couldn’t share details of the 11-year-old boy’s affidavit.

Insp. Mia Rose G. Burlat, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City WCPD, said they executed the 7-year-old’s affidavit in the presence of their parents.

“The presence of the social workers is no longer needed,” Burlat said.

But Bao said the social worker is needed to serve as the “interpreter” or facilitator for the child witness.

“The preparation of the interrogation of a child minor is different when executing an affidavit,” he said.

Bao said the WCPD did not coordinate with them when the affidavit of the child minors were executed.

He said the policemen should review their handbook “How to Handle a Child Witness or an Abused Child” provided by the DSWD.

Bao said the Lapu-Lapu City police should undergo a “refresher” seminar on handling child minors.

In a separate phone interview Joan Saniel, director of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB), said no sanctions are indicated in the DSWD handbook because there is no law on the execution of affidavit of child minors.

“It’s just an advocacy . . . It’s in the handbook (DSWD), then they should follow the procedure because that’s what has been agreed,” she said.

Saniel said at most, the DSWD may reprimand the police if they violate the handbook.