An Assessment of the Handling of Child Abuse Investigation (Pursuant to Republic Act 7610) by the Masambong Police Station

Abstract

Children are the foundation and the primordial considerations in building a nation. They are the engines for growth and development. As Odoh and Innocent (2014) emphasized, the wheel of development in any country depends on how productive and creative are the youthful population. They are the leaders of tomorrow, so the future of the land lies in their hands; hence, they should be provided with utmost care and protection. A number of people believed that the real number of abused children goes beyond the foregoing figures. To law enforcement officers, these personal fears prevent them from getting the facts of the case, which may hamper these officers in implementing the law. For the case studies, the researcher gathered respondent’s socio-demographic data and assessed how the Masambong Police Department Women’s Desk handle cases of child abuse in terms of: behavioral, physical, and technical aspects. The case studies also include problems and gaps encountered by the Masambong Women’s Desk. Finally, the researcher made recommendations and proposed solutions to address the problems encountered by the Women’s Desk of Masambong Quezon City in handling child abuse cases. The method of research used in this study was the descriptive method. . Probability sampling was employed in selecting the respondents by means of Simple random sampling and convenience sampling. The findings of the study revealed that the Masambong Women’s Desk faced problems in terms of physical, behavioral, and technical aspects such as: inadequate personnel assigned to the Women’s Desk, lack of logistical support and office equipment, and inadequate mobile cars transporting victims to the concerned government agencies. The researcher made the recommendations for the Masambong Women’s Desk: construction of a new, friendlier room for the Masambong Women’s Desk allocation of a dedicated patrol car and gas allowance, monthly training and seminars on laws, policies, and protocols related to handling child abuse investigation. The PNP must enhance the policy formulation, strict adherence to operational process in handling children’s cases, as well as the respect for human rights and the welfare of the victims. Additional support, coordination with Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) and other concerned agencies especially the Social Services Development Department (SSDD) is needed to provide victims sustainable programs, diversions, and proper interventions.