INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
“The youth is the hope of the fatherland.” Thus, declared Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero. Yet, like the youth in other countries, many Filipino youths are potential candidates of the country’s Criminal Justice System (CJS). It is a fact borne out by the news stories people read daily that many young people go astray and violate the norms of society as expressed in the country’s laws and statutes. Unlike the adult offenders, they are dealt with differently because of their tender age. Juvenile Justice System is the system of rules and procedures by which society deals with youthful offenders. It is simply an application of CJS to the erring youth, with provisions geared more towards their rehabilitation rather than punishment. According to former Supreme Court Chief Justice Andres Narvasa, the CJS is essentially the system or the process in the community by which crimes are investigated, and the persons suspected thereof are brought into custody, provision being made for their correction and rehabilitation (Narvasa 1996).
In our country, it is one of the responsibilities of the government which is being given so much emphasis is to protect the children. Because of the existing problem in the society most of the time the young are the victims. This rights are being deprived because of it they are becoming vulnerable and a the risk of committing criminal offenses because of personal, family, and said circumstances such as, being abused by any person thru sexual, physical, psychological, mental, economic or any other means and the parents or guardian refused, are unwilling, or unable to provide protection for the child: they being exploited including sexually or economically, being abandoned or neglected, and after diligent search and inquiring the parent or guardian cannot be found; some of them are being out of school, being street child, being member of gang, and most of the time
Bibliography: © The United Nations Children 's Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for South Asia, 2006 http://clrdc.wordpress.com/category/statement-2/juvenile-justice-and-welfare-act-of-2006-r-a-9344/ November 23, 2012 Briefing Paper on the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (R.A.9344) http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/279050/news/nation/aquino-declares-4th-week-of-october-juvenile-justice-week Aquino declares 4th week of October juvenile justice week October 20, 2012 5:19pm By Rizel S. Adlawan Tuesday, September 13, 2011 KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA NewsOctober 14, 2011 4:56pm http://www.judgesandmagistrates.org/murd.htm Republic Act No. 9344 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND WELFARE SYSTEM, CREATING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND WELFARE COUNCIL UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES