SENATOR Raffy Tulfo has called for a review of the country’s rehabilitation programs for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), citing the lack of accredited Bahay Pag-asa facilities and gaps in intervention services following the recent shooting incident in Tacloban City.

During the inquiry conducted by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, Tulfo said the country’s rehabilitation system remains inadequate nearly two decades after the enactment of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

According to Tulfo, only 28 of the country’s 117 operational Bahay Pag-asa facilities currently have valid accreditation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Twenty years after the enactment of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, our rehabilitation system remains incomplete. Only 33 of our 82 provinces have a Bahay Pag-asa. Among our 33 Highly Urbanized Cities, five still do not have one, including Tacloban,” Tulfo said.

The senator also questioned why only a small percentage of children in conflict with the law are admitted to Bahay Pag-asa facilities despite the large number of cases recorded each year.

Tulfo noted that more than 10,000 CICL cases were reported in 2023, while DSWD data showed that Bahay Pag-asa facilities admitted an average of only 2,833 children annually from 2021 to 2025.

“What happened to the others? If they were not admitted to Bahay Pag-asa, what kind of intervention did they receive, and who monitored them?” Tulfo asked.

He stressed that rehabilitation programs should not only provide young offenders with a second chance but also ensure the safety of other children and communities.

“Rehabilitation should protect the child who needs a second chance, and the innocent child who deserves to feel safe. That is why we must ensure that rehabilitation delivers real outcomes and that the juvenile justice system is properly enforced,” Tulfo said.