Criminality among young Filipinos

Title

Creator

Ramos, David B.

Language

English

Source

Panorama Volume XVII (No. 5) May 1966

Year

1966

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The tragedy of adolescence

Fulltext

■ The tragedy’ of adolescence. CRIMINALITY AMONG YOUNG FILIPINOS A few days ago, newspapers reported in screaming head lines the tragic killing of Joselito Zuzuarragi, 17-yearold scion of a real estate mag nate in Quezon City. The victim, a high school stu dent at the Lyceum of the Philippines, was allegedly pistol-whipped and gunned down by 19-year old Grego rio “Butch” Belgica, himself the scion of a prominent banker. What made the kill ing more tragic however is that the victim and the al leged gunwielder were both young men, not past their twenties and the senselessness of the motive that led to the killing. Belgica, it seems, had sus pected Zuzuarragi of being among those who mauled him in a Roxas Boulevard nightspot sometime ago. From then on, he had har bored bad feelings against Zuzuarragi. and his friends that finally resulted in the latter’s death. Yet, Belgica is but one of the many wayward youths, who have in recent years, ac quired some sort of noto riety. There was Boy Porcuna, who before he too was gunned down by a rival gang, was a notorious underworld character. In Belgica s case, how he managed to stay out of jail despite the string of cases against him in courts is still a puzzle to most citizens. Even girls, surprisingly, are increasingly involved in crimes — an alarming mani festation of the growing “wildness” that is gripping our young people today. In Bacolod, for instance, ten persons, including three girls, were accused of mur der before the local city court. All were members of the dreaded “Manong Gang” in that city which police authorities said was responsi ble for the murder of Celso 32 Panorama Tan. A radio commentator, Tan had denounced the acti vities of the gang over the airlanes. This incurred the gang’s ire and last May 1, in the presence of his wife Tan was shot. The murder scene, a mere fifteen meters away from a police station, showed how bold the youthful crimi nals were. When these wayward youths do not kill, they com mit other crimes and mis chiefs. Still in Quezon city, four unidentified teenagers reportedly raped a 15-yearold girl inside the Kamuning Elementary school. The girl, news accounts said, had just come from the Kamuning Theater when the four ac costed her and brought her to the school where she was abused. Also in Quezon city, opera tives of the local CRUS AC (Crusade Against Crime) ar rested several drunken teen agers who have been molest ing girls when they come out of school at night. These teenagers, it is said, would scamper away and disappear when the girls shout for help. The discovery of their cave hideout near a creek finally led to their arrest. Indeed there seems to be an increase of teenage crime and hooliganism all over the country. In Pasay city, Mrs. Leonor Munoz, principal of the Jose Rizal Elementary school in that city decried the rash of mischiefs done to her school by teenage gangs ters living near the premises of the school. These teenage gangsters were reportedly des troying plants, equipments and even painting the walls with unprintable remarks. ■Of late, wayward girls have also figured prominently in police blotters. Some, for no reason than plain boredom, leave their homes “in search of adventure.” There was that daughter of a well-todo family who fled from her home because she had no thing to do. When found, she was working as a wait ress in an Olongapo bar. Yet, she did not even display the slightest sigh of remorse when confronted by her pa rents. A 13-year-old lass from Bulacan also disappeared but for another reason. Her fa ther had scolded her when he found out that she was pregnant and to a married man. May 1966 33 Never indeed have our young people been as “wild” as they are now. Rebellious, they leave their homes for no apparent reason. Or else, they hang around and get involved in all sorts of crimes and mischief. Gangs are formed and their rivalries often lead to senseless kill ings and brawls. Who is to blame for all these? Authorities, seeming ly helpless to cope with the situation, point to such fac tors as poor family upbring ing and the corroding in fluence pf the radio, televi sion and the cinema. Yet, "merely blaming pa rents” a local daily editorial ized, “the school, or church, the environmental factor which used to suffice as an explanation for youthful crimes, has lost its former meaning.. Some of the most vicious forms of youthful crimes today are committed by teenagers who have had all the advantages that a young person could hope for or that any parent could wish for his offspring. The ultimate blame, the editorial continued, lies inthe inadequacies of the law in dealing with habitual of fenders. The suspect in the above-mentioned killing (re ferring to the Belgica case) has been charged before in at least ten criminal cases ranging from assault to mur der. All these cases are still pending except one in which he was convicted of homi cide and which is now on ap peal. Obviously, the daily be lieves the rise of teenage crimes is due to the leniency of our courts. Ordinarily, the widest, most criminal-conscious teen agers should come from poor families. It is not often the case however. Scions of rich, prominent families are more often equated with teenage crimes and hooliganism. Why? Writing in the Reader’s Digest, Geoffrey Lucy offers a plausible explanation. Short working hours, he said, give more leisure,, and even adults have not learned to use it. Better nourishment means earlier puberty, result ing in adult sexuality in children immaturity. Longer dependence -on parents be cause of the need for higher education, boys explode into violence to prove that they 34 Panorama are grown-up. Some, unable to succeed in school with to day’s higher academic re quirements, seek status through hooliganism. Young sters can afford to buy mo. bility, and in towns distant from their homes, they feel free to behave more boldly infront of their neighbors. Whatever maybe the rea son for the upsurge of teen age crimes, one fact stands out. The situation has reach ed alarming proportions that may get out of hand unless something is done — and fast! — By David B. Ramos tin Manila Bulletin. PROCRASTINATION Procrastination is the thief of time; year after years it steals, till all are fled, and to the mercies of a moment leaves the vast concern of an eternal state. At thirty, man suspects himself a fool; knows it at forty, and reforms his plan; at fifty chides his in famous delay, pushes his prudent purpose to resolve; in all the magnanimity of thought, resolves, and re resolves, then dies the same. — Young. May 1966 35

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