(f) All appropriate steps shall be taken to facilitate the reunion of families temporarily
separated due to armed conflict.
Section 23. Evacuation of Children During Armed Conflict. – Children shall be given priority during
evacuation as a result of armed conflict. Existing community organizations shall be tapped to look after
the safety and well-being of children during evacuation operations. Measures shall be taken to ensure
that children evacuated are accompanied by persons responsible for their safety and well-being.
Section 24. Family Life and Temporary Shelter. – Whenever possible, members of the same family
shall be housed in the same premises and given separate accommodation from other evacuees and
provided with facilities to lead a normal family life. In places of temporary shelter, expectant and
nursing mothers and children shall be given additional food in proportion to their physiological needs.
Whenever feasible, children shall be given opportunities for physical exercise, sports and outdoor
games.
Section 25. Rights of Children Arrested for Reasons Related to Armed Conflict. – Any child who
has been arrested for reasons related to armed conflict, either as combatant, courier, guide or spy is
entitled to the following rights;
(a) Separate detention from adults except where families are accommodated as family
units;
(b) Immediate free legal assistance;
(c) Immediate notice of such arrest to the parents or guardians of the child; and
(d) Release of the child on recognizance within twenty-four (24) hours to the custody of
the Department of Social Welfare and Development or any responsible member of the
community as determined by the court.
If after hearing the evidence in the proper proceedings the court should find that the aforesaid child
committed the acts charged against him, the court shall determine the imposable penalty, including any
civil liability chargeable against him. However, instead of pronouncing judgment of conviction, the court
shall suspend all further proceedings and shall commit such child to the custody or care of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development or to any training institution operated by the
Government, or duly-licensed agencies or any other responsible person, until he has had reached
eighteen (18) years of age or, for a shorter period as the court may deem proper, after considering the
reports and recommendations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development or the agency or
responsible individual under whose care he has been committed.
The aforesaid child shall subject to visitation and supervision by a representative of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development or any duly-licensed agency or such other officer as the court may
designate subject to such conditions as it may prescribe.
The aforesaid child whose sentence is suspended can appeal from the order of the court in the same
manner as appeals in criminal cases.
Section 26. Monitoring and Reporting of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict. – The
chairman of the barangay affected by the armed conflict shall submit the names of children residing in