The mother of Joyancee Badoria Separa on Wednesday, July 1 appealed to authorities to ensure that the suspects in the Tacloban school shooting would be put in a separate detention facility.

Jennelyn Badoria, mother of one of the victims who died during the shooting incident after she was shot by one of the suspects, a fellow classmate of Joyancee, said it is imperative that the perpetrators be placed in a different facility and not just in a shelter where minors in conflict with the law (CICL) are cared for and rehabilitated.

Badoria, made the call during the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality hearing on Wednesday. She participated in the Senate inquiry through online.

“That child…he killed a person. So what? Is he just going to a shelter? There should be a facility where they should be placed…not just a shelter like that Bahay Pag-asa,” Badoria said in her passionate appeal to the panel, chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

“They should also feel the pain,” she reiterated, referring to the teo minor suspects who were also Joyancee’s schoolmates.

Badoria also said she supports the proposal to lower the age of criminal liability, pointing to the conversation of the suspects in which they claimed they are exempted from any liability due to their age. 

“If possible, lower the age at which one can be charged. Because the person who shot said he has no criminal liability. So how is that?” Badoria asked.

She also rejected speculations of bullying, pointing out that her daughter was known to be a quiet and friendly person. 

“She’s not quarrelsome,” she said. 

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) chief Rex Gatchalian, for his part, assured the Senate panel that the 14-year old, alias “Nash”, is already under their custody. 

Gatchalian said “Nash” is now considered detained while under the DSWD’s custody; the 15-year old, alias “Rod” is now detained at the Regional Rehabilitation for the Youth.

He said “Rod” will stay at the rehabilitation center “until the sentencing” and “for as long as the intervention plan (for CICL) is ongoing.”

While he acknowledge that a complaint has already been filed against the suspects, particularly “Rod,” it is up to the courts to decide on the police findings that the suspect/s “acted with discernment.” 

Asked by Sen. Raffy Tulfo if it is possible that the suspects can be released without any accountability after displaying good behavior in the next few months or years, Gatchalian responded yes “but it has never happened.”

“Theoretically, it can happen, but it has never happened…Rest assured we are handling this case seriously. And that the minors would be held accountable based on the gravity of the offense they committed,” Gatchalian said. 

He, however, expressed belief that operations of the Bahay Pag-asa Centers should be remanded back to the national government since most local government units (LGUs) have difficulty maintaining the centers. 

“It’s difficult to construct and more difficult to operate Bahay Pag-asa centers. Most LGUs have limited capacity to run a Bahay Pag-asa center. It’s very complex to run a shelter or a facility,” he said.