Philippines

Provides a listing of articles on restorative justice developments in the Philippines. Articles appear in the order in which they were added to the site with the most recent appearing first.

Restorative justice will work in the Philippines: DOJ chief

from the article in CBCP News: Efforts to push for restorative justice in the country got a boost with a top government official saying it would work in the country. Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said she believes the strategy can play an important role in crime reduction.

Parole and Probation Office tutors stakeholders on restorative justice in the Philippines

from the press release: Several clusters composed of about three hundred fifty (350) Barangay Chairmen, Barangay Human Rights Action Officers, Police Officers and Volunteer Probation Aides (VPAs) in Tacloban City, are set to attend a two-day seminar of restorative justice starting February 8 until March 3, in two venues in the City. ....[T]he main objective of the project is to educate the participants on the concept of Restorative Justice in order for them to resolve minor conflicts in the community using the RJ models.

Peace education institute proposed for Mindanao

Yangco, Celia Copadocia. Victims Support Schemes: The Philippine Perspective

The Philippines takes pride in its unique and indigenous way of settling disputes and treating both offenders and victims at the village ("barangay") level. The system is called "Katarungang Pambarangay" (Village Justice System). When a complaint is reported or an unresolved conflict or dispute from the barangay level is elevated to the jurisdiction of the police, the victim is viewed as a complainant. If a criminal charge progresses up to the courts, the victim continues to act in the role of prosecution witness in the case against the offender. Under the Rules of Court, the victim may seek restitution for damages from the crime by filing a civil suit against the offender. A victim/witness who believes himself/herself to be in danger from an offender can apply for admission into the Witness Protection, Security, and Benefit Program of the Department of Justice. A Board of Claims was created in 1992 under the Department of Justice to grant compensation for victims of unjust imprisonment or detention and victims of violent crimes. The law specifies the administrative procedure for filing the victim's claim through the Board of Claims. This commission provides financial assistance to victims of human rights violations or their families, so as to help alleviate suffering and sustain their basic needs within a specified period. Further, the Philippine Government has enacted laws that protect the rights and address the needs of certain categories of victims, notably children, women, and migrant Filipinos. This chapter also discusses Philippine civil society's role in victims' support, as well as the challenges and prospects of victim support schemes. The chapter concludes that prospects for victim support in the Philippines are promising because of pending legislation designed to further protect human rights in the areas of child abuse and specific harms suffered by crime victims. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Adhikain Para sa Karapatang Pambata and Ateneo Human Rights Center. Research on the situation of children in conflict with the law in selected metro Manila cities.

This research project on the situation of children in conflict with the law in selected cities in Metro Manila was conceptualised in order to assist SC-UK and its partners in defining their advocacy agenda on CICL at the local and national levels and help clarify SC-UK’s programme direction, strategies, areas of coverage and target participants. Through quantitative and qualitative information collected in this project, major gaps and abuses that occur in the administration of justice to CICL were identified and corresponding analysis and recommendations were formulated. The project also gave emphasis on the protection measures given to children in conflict with the law through diversion at the different levels of the criminal justice system. Diversion is an essential component of children’s justice, with the purpose of preventing and minimising the children’s entry into the criminal justice system. The promulgation of the Rule on Juveniles in Conflict with the Law by the Supreme Court in 15 April 2002, which provides for diversion in the court level, requires a review of it relevant provisions. The provisions of the Katarungang Pambarangay (barangay1 or village justice) Law as it applies to CICL are likewise analysed in relation to diversion.

Austin, Timothy. "Unexpected Dimensions of Informal Social Control: A View from the Philippine Sitio"

This article amplifies the finding that a number of situational variables surprisingly augment the time-honored tradition of amicable settlement among Fillipinos. Earlier reports emphasized cultural and personality patterns as a foundation of a preference of informal mediation of disputes and an avoidance of government agencies of control. Contemporary features, which include distinct political boundaries, unmemployment, communication disability in a low tech society,and the desire for bribery, among others, also appear to emerge as potentially meaningful variables. The findings allow for the construction of a number of prepositions that predict how the situation impacts on informal social control. Field research in the relatively volatile area of northwest Mindanao, especially in isolated villages (sitios), suggest a need for further clarification.

Mennonite Central Committee. Making Peace in the Indigenous Way in the Philippines

In anecdotal fashion, highlighting the work of the Upland Development Institute in the Philippines, this article relates traditional Philippine processes for addressing conflicts and offenders in relation to a more Western legal system.

New Juvenile Justice Law in the Philippines

With the signing of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act 2006 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippines introduced a new juvenile justice system. Among the many provisions seeking to protect children in conflict with the law, the legislation calls for restorative justice to be an integral part of the new system.

Using Traditional Practices to Improve the Justice System

Indigenous justice practices and philosophies have been important in the development of restorative justice processes such as conferencing and circles. Increasingly, governments, development agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are realizing the potential of such traditional practices to meet the justice needs of marginalized populations, resolve issues of court backlogs, and to enable communities to own and resolve their own conflicts. In the Philippines, such problems are being resolved by enhancing traditional systems. Based on the use of mediation and conciliation by local elected leaders, the Barangay Justice System (BJS) is the focus of an NGO effort to provide access to justice and empower communities to participate in justice reform.