DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/12 Sept) – A group advocating child protection has expressed opposition to the proposal lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act from 15 to nine years old.
Lawyer Romeo Cabarde, chair of Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (Apila), told Kapehan sa Dabaw Monday that the age of children who can be held liable for crimes should not be lowered as they are “victims of a failing system” themselves.
“It reflects the kind of society that we have, what kind of people have we become. It is alarming because it leads us to what kind of society or institutions that we had established,” he said.
In a report on GMA News Online, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro have filed House Bill 002 amending the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
In a position paper, Apila emphasized that “to amend the present law, Republic Act No. 9344, as amended by Republic Act 10630, which to begin with has not yet been fully implemented, would be to deny our children and our youth of the duties and responsibilities that we owe as responsible adults and citizens of this noble country.
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“We understand the predicament and frustration of our society when we see our children being involved in crimes and other activities that abuse and disregard the rights of others. But, we believe that the children involved in those situation, more especially those that are deprived of the protection and care owed to them by the State, the community and their parents, are also victims of the circumstances,” it added.
The group argued that the responsibility cannot be passed on totally to the children “when we have not done much yet as a society.
We believe that we cannot just put the blame on the children when their families and loves ones have failed them.
