The said Republic Act signed on April 8, 2006 provides for the Youth Legal Aid Program (YLAP) which seeks to provide legal assistance to youths with pending cases and those who are deprived of their right to competent legal representation merely because of indigence.
The tie-up was spearheaded by Atty. Fernando M. Peña, Chief of the University Legal Counsel and a COL professor in Clinical Legal Education (CLED). All the third and fourth year PUP law students are required to put into practice the provisions of YLAP.
"We must make sure that these youth offenders are not mingled with the hard criminals because their being in their tender years make them very sensitive and volatile," said Atty. Peña when asked about the goal of the project.
YLAP covers cases within the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the Family Courts (Republic Act No. 8369 and Family Courts Act of 1997) where the offender is below 18 years of age. Under the law, there would be automatic suspension of the case if a youth offender at the time of the commission of crime is over nine (9) but under eighteen (18) years of age and he shall be endorsed to the custody of the DSWD.
At present, thirteen minor offenders have been assisted by the YLAP PUP-COL Chapter. The said law students visited and coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, family courts, police stations and detention centers to check on the records of the alleged youth offenders.
Dean Roseller S. Dela Peña supports the said endeavor of the college and he said that positive feedbacks were received from the law students' extension program.
The National Youth Commission (NYC) is the government's sole and lead youth policy making and coordinating agency created, existing and operating by virtue of Republic Act 8044.
The NYC is represented by its Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Richard Alvin M. Nalupta.
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