BAGUIO CITY — The local government here is expressing alarm over the rising number of minors who are being suspected of various cases increased in the city in the last quarter of 2023.

The Baguio local government unit — through Baguio City Prosecutor Conrado Catral — revealed that of the 347 complaints investigated by the office during the said period, 203 or 59 percent of the involved suspects are minors.

He added that from the 63 complaints that were subject to inquest proceedings, 30 of the involved suspects are also minors.

Catral disclosed that 203 information from the complaints received during the quarter were filed with the appropriate courts in the city while of the 63 new complaints subject to inquest proceedings and 74 information were also filed with the appropriate courts.

Among the complaints investigated by the City Prosecutor’s Office include violation of Batas Pambansa Bilang 22 or the Bouncing Check Law with 78 followed by estafa with 68, theft with 30, violation of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children with 17, violation of child protection laws with 12, rape, carnapping and illegal recruitment with seven each, robbery with five, violation of tax laws and homicide with three each, murder and illegal gambling with one each and other crimes with 91.

He added that 60 information were filed for violation of the Bouncing Check Law, 45 were for other criminal offenses, 33 were filed for estafa, 21 for theft, 11 for rape, 10 for violation of the Antiviolence Against Women and Children, eight for violation of child protection laws, seven for cybercrime, three for illegal recruitment, two each for carnapping and homicide and one for robbery.

Of the complaints subject for inquest proceedings, 18 were for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law, 16 for other criminal offenses, 15 for theft, five for rape, three for VAWC and one each for violation of child protection laws, cybercrime, homicide, illegal recruitment, robbery and illegal gambling.

Catral said that from information that were filed following results of the inquest proceedings, 32 were for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law, 15 were for theft, 14 were for other criminal offenses, five were for rape, three were for VAWC and one each were for violation of child protection laws, cybercrime, homicide, illegal recruitment and illegal gambling.

The city prosecutor’s office filed three information in court of the 23 motions for reconsideration or cases that were subjected for re-investigation during the period.