Indigenous Administration of Justice and Its Impact on the Protection of Children: The Tagabawa-Bagobo and Subanen Experience
Paglilingkod Batas Pangkapatiran Foundation, Inc.; Kaliwat Theater Collective Inc.; Save the Children UK Philippines Programme
E-mail:minervac@seap.savethechildren.se

This case study shows how two IP communities in Northern and Southern Mindanao handle offenses committed by IP children and young adults. Conducted in two communities that have experienced varying degrees of assimilation to and integration with lowland political structures, the study offers information on indigenous justice systems that can contribute to the development of a more systematic approach in diverting children in conflict with the law based on the principles of restorative justice and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The study looks closely at how the interrelated elements of the IP justice system operate in the context of changing indigenous cultures, specifically in terms of handling cases of children in conflict with the law.