Lapu police to get ‘refresher’ on handling minor cases

The Lapu-Lapu City police will ask the local Dept. of Social Welfare and Development office to give them a “refresher” course on handling cases involving minors.

This came after the DSWD criticized the police office’s handling of the bullying case that resulted in the death of a seven-year-old last month.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, acting chief of the Lapu-Lapu City police refused to comment further about the DSWD Lapu-Lapu City’s statement .

“Nakuha naman ninyo ang statement sa DSWD. Just let it be, (You already have the statement of the DSWD. Just let it be.),” said Lawas.

Lawas said they will be coordinating with the DSWD in holding a “refresher” course or a seminar to investigators when handling child minors.

The Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) of the Lapu-Lapu City police recently executed an affidavit of a 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.

The WCPD also executed an affidavit from the 11-year-old boy who allegedly pushed Joshua in the sea waters of barangay Buaya.

Police said the affidavit was executed in the presence of the parents of the child minors.

Mark Bao, social worker assistant of the DSWD in Lapu-Lapu City said that the execution of the affidavit from the child minors is “inadmissible”.

Bao said that the police should execute the affidavit in the presence of a social worker.

Insp. Mia Rose G. Burlat, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City WCPD, said that they executed the 7-year-old and the 11-year-old’s affidavit in the presence of their parents.

Burlat said that the presence of the social workers is no longer needed.

But Bao said that the social worker is needed to serve as the “interpreter” for the child minor.

Bao said that the preparation of the interrogation of a child minor is different when executing an affidavit.