MANILA – The Malacañang has no contention on the pending bill before the House of Representatives which lowers the age of criminal liability to nine years old from the current 15.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said on Monday that President Rodrigo Duterte is supportive of the measure as it will now discourage adults from tapping minors to carry out illegal activities.
“Sa akin puwede na ang nine (years old). Considering nga the modern technology, ‘yung nine parang equivalent na sa 12, 15 years old, may discernment na e,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
“Sa Criminal Law, kapag may discernment ka na, you know what is bad and good e may problema ka sa batas. You will be accountable. It will now discourage the adults from using minors sa illegal activities,” he said.
Panelo, however, said the enactment of the proposal will depend on the lawmakers since the President only asked for the age of criminal liability lowered but did not cite a specific age bracket.
“That’s the call of Congress. It’s Congress who will make the law, the President did not say naman particular nine (years old), he just wants it lowered. Nasa kanila na ‘yun,” the Palace official said.
The House’s Justice committee headed by Oriental Mindoro 1st District representative Salvador “Doy” Leachon swiftly approved the bill on Monday morning despite the measure receiving contentions from human rights groups.
Leachon said it was a priority measure which he hopes to pass into law before the end of the 17th Congress to protect the children from being used by ruthless and unscrupulous criminal syndicates to evade prosecution and punishment.
“This measure is not anti-poor and ruthless but a pro-children administrative measure,” he said in his opening speech. “Children in conflict with the law will not be mixed in ordinary prisons.”
“Let it be understood that with the present bill, we are not putting these children in jail but in reformative institutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community,” he added.
Duterte previously called for the amendment of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan, which he tagged as the one behind the rise in the number of “people of criminal minds.”
Over at the Senate, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1603 seeking to lower the minimum age to 12 years old, while Senate President Vicente Sotto III filed SBN 2026 seeking to lower the age to above 12 years old./PN
