Crimes involving minor suspects on the rise in Baguio — 2023 Q4 report

BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City Prosecutor Conrado Catral raised concern over the marked increase of minors being involved as suspects in various crimes in the city, citing records during the last quarter of 2023.

According to Catral, of the 347 complaints investigated by his office during that period, 203 (59%) involve minors. On the other hand,  30 suspects of the 63 complaints subjected to inquest proceedings were also minors. 

Catral said that 203 information (i.e indictments) from the complaints received during the last quarter were filed before the appropriate courts in the city, while of the 63 new complaints subject to inquest proceedings, 74 information were also filed with the appropriate courts.

Meanwhile, the complaints investigated by the Baguio City Prosecutor’s Office include violation of the following:

• Batas Pambansa Bilang 22 or the Bouncing Check Law - 78 cases
• Estafa - 68 cases
• Theft - 30 cases
• Violation of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) – 17 cases
• Violation of child protection laws – 12 cases,
• Rape, carnapping and illegal recruitment - 7 cases each
• Robbery – 5 cases
• Violation of tax laws and homicide - 3 cases each
• Murder and illegal gambling - 1 case each
• Other crimes - 91 cases

He added that 60 information were filed for violation of the Bouncing Check Law, 45 information were filed for other criminal offenses, 33 information were filed for estafa, 21 for theft, 11 for rape, 10 for violation of the Antiviolence Against Women and Children (VAWC), 8 for violation of child protection laws, 7 for cybercrime, 3 for illegal recruitment, 2 each for carnapping and homicide and 1 for robbery.

Of the complaints subject for inquest proceedings, 18 were for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law, 16 for other criminal offenses, 15 for theft, 5 for rape, 3 for VAWC and 1 each for violation of child protection laws, cybercrime, homicide, illegal recruitment, robbery and illegal gambling.

Of the informations that were filed following results of the inquest proceedings, 32 were for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Dugs Law, 15 were for theft, 14 were for other criminal offenses, 5 were for rape, 3 were for VAWC, 1 each were for violation of child protection laws, cybercrime, homicide, illegal recruitment, and illegal gambling.

The city prosecutor’s office filed three informations in court of the 23 motions for reconsideration or cases that were subjected for re-investigation during that period.