(We yield this space to the statement of the Child Rights Network – the largest alliance of organizations and agencies pushing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines – due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
LEGISLATORS should keep the rights and wellbeing of Filipino children at the heart of the law. They should be better than the previous Congress by enacting laws protecting the rights of our children and disregarding harmful bills such as lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) and the reinstatement of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for Grades 11 and 12 students.
We call on legislators to expedite the passage of pro-children legislation, especially bills to uphold the following:
* Increasing the age to determine statutory rape
* Universal birth registration
* Teenage pregnancy prevention
* Inclusive education
* Ending child marriage
* Ending commercial and online sexual exploitation of children
* Positive discipline
As we – the Filipino people – reflect on the state of our nation, may our legislators realize and accept the fact that the basic rights and wellbeing of our children have been gravely violated in the last few years. A painful reminder of this reality is the fact that our children have become, according to one neophyte senator, mere collateral damage in the government’s unrelenting anti-drug campaign.
Just as we strongly urge our legislators to pass crucial legislation we listed above, we also call for the passage of laws that will protect children from the anti-drug campaign.
Despite the grim situation, we remain hopeful that our current legislators will unite to protect the rights of children. We hope that they will use their good judgment and not simply follow marching orders.
May our legislators rescue the Filipino children from the crippling injustice they are facing – from the prevalence of violence against children to the barriers to access to health and education.
Children’s rights are inalienable and indivisible. Policymakers cannot institute laws and policies that improve some aspects of children’s wellbeing, while at the same time push for measures that violate their other rights.
