A 15-year-old student accused in the Tacloban City school shooting has been found by social workers to possess discernment and an understanding of his actions, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the finding indicates that the minor knew and understood the nature and consequences of his actions.
The DSWD’s assessment will now be submitted to the legal system, where the court is expected to validate the social workers’ findings.
Meanwhile, Gatchalian said the agency is still awaiting the results of the psychological assessments being conducted on both the 15-year-old suspect and the other 14-year-old student allegedly involved in the shooting.
The results will be used to develop appropriate intervention plans for the two minors and help determine the factors that led to the crime.
The DSWD chief also expressed the agency’s openness to discussions on the proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility.
Gatchalian stressed that any review should determine whether the law itself needs to be amended or whether the real issue lies in its implementation.
(PHOTO COURTESY: DSWD)
