House panel OKs bill lowering age of criminal responsibility for children from 15 to 9 years old
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2019 04:48:48 +0000
THE bill, which seeks to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9 years old, hurdled the committee level at the House of Representatives.
In a hearing on Monday morning, the Committee on Justice approved the bill on the motion of Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, which was seconded immediately.
This consolidates House Bills 2, 505, 935, 1609, 2009, 3973 and amends Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.
Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Doy Leachon said the passage of the bill was “high time” in order to protect our children from being used by criminal syndicates.”
“We are punishing here the criminal syndicates that are using children. In fact, the punishment for them is reclusion perpetua but the children won’t be imprisoned,” Leachon told reporters after the hearing.
Leachon said as far as the children were concerned, they would undergo “rehabilitation, reformation, and confinement at the Bahay Pagasa.”
Crimes covered by the bill were murder, parricide, infanticide, serious illegal detention, carnapping, and violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Romeo Dongeto, convenor of the Child Rights Network, was saddened by the development.
“Wala po kaming nakikitang problemang sosolusyunan ng panukalang ito kundi ipe-persecute po ang mga bata na mga biktima lamang at hindi po dapat tratuhin na mga kriminal,” Dongeto said.
(We do not see any problem that this proposal will solve, it will just persecute minors who are merely victims and should not be treated as criminals.) REINA C. TOLENTINO, KYLE PERALTA
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