NOV.

21, 2011 DATE

NR # 2594D
REF. NO.

PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, ENSURE OUR FUTURE: BELMONTE

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. today cited the efforts of the Philippine Congress in support of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, binding states to guarantee and protect the special but fundamental rights of children in the world. The convention has become the most ratified human rights instruments to date, evidencing a universal agreement irrespective of cultural divergence and transcending national boundaries on the need to recognize, protect and ensure the inherent dignity, and equal and inalienable rights of children as members of the human family, Belmonte said. Belmonte graced the ceremony commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Children held at the Batasan complex, organized by the House Committee on the Welfare of Children chaired by Rep. Aurora Cerilles. The House leader, however, expressed concern over the disturbing realities, beyond legislation, that seriously threaten our children. These, he said, include: first, the looming economic difficulty worldwide; second, violence; and third, the challenge of social justice. The global realities, he added, will affect incomes of families which, in turn, place children at greater risk of losing access to services intended to guarantee their rights to health, education and social welfare. This heightened risk justifies the expansion of government intervention through its present conditional cash transfer program contained in our proposed budget, he pointed out. Similarly, Belmonte noted that the violence in Mindanao robs our children, caught in the crossfire, of their childhood, endangers their lives or introduces the young to a culture of violence that has become a vicious cycle in that part of the country. In the realm of social justice, Belmonte said, the unfolding political dram here and elsewhere will be instructive of the kind of values our children will hold. While the country is now confronted by the thorny issue of exacting public accountability, the world is in the meantime being force to address the great disparity in the distribution of wealth in society. How we resolve these issues will not only affect our capacity to govern and provide leadership to the present constituency; it will also shape the consciousness of the

NOV. 21, 2011 DATE

NR # 2594D
REF. NO.

next generation who will succeed us in the stewardship of the nation, and of the worlds wealth, he said. Government leaders, he stressed, must act decisively, and always mindful of the need to protect and promote the rights of children, especially in these testing times. On the legislative front, Belmonte said the House of Representatives would continue to focus on measures that focus on childrens right to survive, develop to the fullest, protected from harm and abuse, and access to social services. The Philippines, as a signatory to the 1989 Convention, passed the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act in accordance with Article 19 of the Convention, the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act under Article 11, and the law on foster care and adoption pursuant to Articles 20 and 21 of the said Convention, among others. Belmonte revealed that the House is reviewing some critical legislation for instance, the criminal liability of minors in conflict with the law in the wake of increasing involvement of juveniles in criminal activities, while at the same time recognizing that oftentimes, child offenders are victimized by those who exploit their minority to escape criminal liability. These twin realizations admonish us to reassess the law on juvenile delinquency with utmost caution, guided by the wisdom that it is in the best interest of society to look after childrens best interests, Belmonte concluded. (30) dpt