MANILA, Philippines—The COVID-19 cases recorded in Davao City’s Bahay Pagasa — a reform facility for youth offenders — should prompt the government to review its practice of detaining minors in the middle of a pandemic, according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
In a statement on Wednesday (Feb. 24), CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said that the commission was alarmed by reports that 49 youth offenders had tested positive for SARS Cov2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the reform facility.
De Guia said that while authorities were quick to act to address the outbreak, the case presented a bigger issue—why youth offenders are being detained during the heal…
Keep on reading: CHR: COVID-19 cases in Davao facility is wake-up call on practice of jailing youth offenders