DAVAO CITY - We're back into this Durian city for the nth time. Unfortunately, we have not seen Manny Pacquiao roaming around here yet in search for cock fights and billiard matches.

Whatever, we have to capitalize the meal break to look for the nearest Internet café beside the Royal Mandaya Hotel where we are billeted for the Local Legislators Conference on Juvenile Justice and Welfare which will wind up today with visitations in various penal institutions here including the Davao Penal Colony and the various youth detention centers before the closing ceremonies tonight.

As it is, this Rodrigo Duterte country still seems to be the undisputed jewel in the Land of the Promise where drug personalities and criminals are considered as endangered species.

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We boarded the same Cebu Pacific flight from Cebu last Friday afternoon with our esteemed kumpadre, Chito Fuentes, who was also on his way to this city to pay his sister, Arcel, a much-needed hospital visit.

Just as we boarded the aircraft at 4:20 last Friday afternoon, Arcel expired peacefully at the hospital. We only learned of Arcel's death several minutes after we parted our ways at the Davao International Airport.

We have condoled Pare Chito, the only son in the family, at the Angel Funeral in Torres St. this city where the remains of his sister, Arcel, lie in state.

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Back to the conference, Commissioner Benjie Soliva of the National Youth Commission was among the speakers yesterday morning. We are touched by Benjie's humility and simplicity despite being a national figure now.

At any rate, Assistant Secretary Teresita Domingo of the Department of Justice parried all the blows against that stupid provision in Republic Act 9344 exempting juveniles 15 years and below from any criminal liability.

The local legislators present during the conference minced no words in criticizing the legal provision and were all roaring like lions against the stupidity of such provision.

Senator Kiko Panganiban, principal author of RA 9344, is now trying to make a Pontius Pilate act by stressing that the enactment of such statute is in compliance with the New York Convention on Juvenile Justice. The conference would hopefully kick off the long trek of putting our juvenile justice system back in the proper perspective.

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Tagbilaran City is among the few LGUs in the country today with a comprehensive codification about children's rights and protection.

Just recently, the city council passed the Children's Code principally authored by Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes and sponsored in the floor by City Councilor Lucio Balbin.

Undersecretary Alicia R. Bala of the Department of Social Welfare and Development underscored in her lecture yesterday afternoon that local government units are among the major stakeholders in the protection of children's rights within the framework of the National Juvenile Intervention Program. Bala chairs the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC).

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