BASIC LEGAL ETHICS

Article:

Minors in crime
By Davinci S. Maru
Thursday, March 13, 2014

POLICE rescued a 14-year-old boy in Barangay Madridejos, Alegria, Cebu after he was
allegedly recruited to be an usher for an illegal numbers game.
Mike (not his real name) was driving a bike to deliver masiao tip sheets when a
policeman caught him in Sitio Balhaan last Friday.
Seized from him were 36 tip sheets and a list of bet money that Mike still had to
collect that day.
PO1 Mike Christin Saniel of Alegria Police Stations Women and Children Protection
Desk (WCPD) said they have been monitoring Mike after receiving information he was
involved in the illegal activity.
Parents permissionv
Mike, a native of Bindoy, Negros Oriental, told police he was recruited three weeks
ago and was promised a job in a farm. The sixth grader left home with his parents
permission.
When he arrived in Barangay Malhiao, Badian, Cebu, Mike learned he would be
working as a masiao general coordinator.
As an usher, his work consists of riding a passenger bus early in the morning from
Barangay Malhiao to Barangay Matutinao in Badian.
From there, he would get on a bike to deliver tip sheets during the day from Badian to
Alegria. At night, he would collect the bet money, or masiao proceeds.
Ang ibayad pud sa iyaha kay magdepende sad sa iyang trabaho daw. Di pareha (He
didnt get a regular salary. It depended on the work he did), Saniel said.
DSWD custody
The policewoman, when interviewed by Sun.Star Cebu, said gambling personalities
might be using minors to avoid suspicion.

Police filed a complaint last Monday against the man who employed Mike for violating
Section 10 of Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against
Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
Section 10 states that acts of neglect, abuse, cruelty or exploitation and other
conditions prejudicial to the childs development.
The man, whose name is withheld until he is charged or arrested, is allegedly a
general masiao coordinator and operates in the two municipalities.
Saniel said they also filed a complaint against Mikes parents for violating Section 3 of
RA 7610 for allowing their child in working in a hazardous condition.
The boy has been turned over to the custody of Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) in Negros Oriental.
DSWD 7 spokesperson Leah Quintana, in a separate interview, said cases of minors
being employed in illegal numbers games are seldom.
Mostly, our rescued children were victims of human trafficking or sex abuse, she
said.
(http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2014/03/13/minors-crime-332972)

How would Jesus Christ address this legal problem?

First of all, in the bible, it was stated many times how precious children
are and how much Jesus loves children. Even Jesus was born as a child
(Isaiah 9:6); Jesus took the children on His arms and blessed them
(Mark 10: 14-16); Jesus healed the child of a foreign woman (15:28);
Jesus cast a demon out of a child (Matthew 17:18); Jesus raised a child
from the dead (Mark 5: 41-42); Used the childs loaves and fish to feed
five thousand people (John 6: 9-10); and Jesus said that if you receive a
child in his name, you receive him and the one who sent him (Mark
9:37). Every child is a gift. According to an Indian movie entitled Taare
Zameen Par (Every Child is Special), the title itself states that every
child is special. The movie also shows how important is the role of a
family in every child. Jose Rizal, our national hero even said that Ang
kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.
In the news article, a minor was used in the furtherance of a crime.
Minors are children; according to Republic Act No. 7610, the Child
Abuse Law, children are persons who are below 18 years old. This is
sickening to public morals, children being engaged in the commission

of the crime nowadays. In this case, Jesus Christ would likely cooperate
with the branches of the government in formulating laws that will
strictly implement full protection and security of the children. For
example, penalizing parents who dont send children to school or
engaging them in labor practices; providing mandatory activities or
programs in which children may engage to develop their skills, talents,
or where they can fully utilize their talents; strict school securities;
capital punishment for child abusers or traffickers; religious activities
to enhance their spiritual life, it may be in school or in the towns they
live; government policy for the underprivileged children, in which the
government will provide all the things needed by every child in school
uniforms, books, school supplies, school bags, school shoes,
allowance, free meals, educational equipment, complete modern
school facilities, and other things needed by the child- these will not be
a bar for any parent not to send their children in school.
Children must be nurtured, molded, disciplined and well taken care of
so that they will become the good citizens of our society. They will
become the next generation of great individuals who will someday run
and give hope to this country. Children must be protected and guided
so that they will not walk in dark paths.
Jesus Christ would never allow even a single child to walk in path of the
darkness of sin and the night of unbelief.