Manila, Philippines – The debate on lowering the age of criminal liability heated up when the House justice committee approved House Bill (HB) 8858 on January 22, 2019
These crimes include kidnapping ,murder, parricide, infanticide, and serious illegal detention.
Two days later, the committee increased the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from 9 to 12.
The bill seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006 which exempts 15- to 18-year-olds from criminal liability.
A minimum 12 years of imprisonment in juvenile care units would be imposed as punishment.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) and other licensed non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be mainly responsible for taking care of "criminally liable" children in Bahay Pag-Asa centers, or youth care facilities.
The hashtag #ChildrenNotCriminals flooded social media with sentiments decrying the consequences of putting minors behind bars.
‘Children’ as defined by laws
The Child and Youth Welfare Code recognizes the child as the country’s "most important asset."
Thus, it is the duty of the nation to make sure that the rights of a child are protected – from the moment he/she is born to the time he/she becomes a fully-developed Filipino citizen.
Article 3, Section 12 of the code states:
“Every child has the right to grow up as a free individual, in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, tolerance, and universal brotherhood, and with the determination to contribute his share in the building of a better world.”
Laws that intend to protect children from all kinds of abuses:
- Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (RA No. 7610)
- Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (RA No. 9262)
- Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (RA No. 9231)
- Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as amended (RA No. 9208)
- Anti-Child Pornography Act (RA No. 9775)
- Anti-Bullying Act (RA No. 10627)
- Anti-Rape Law (RA No. 8353)
- Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (RA No. 8371)
- Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act (RA No. 10821)
- The Child and Youth Welfare Code (PD 603)
- The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, as amended (RA No. 9344)
According to our Miss Universe:
Opinion:
As a student, I disagree about the Lowering the Age of Criminal Liability because I do believe that children should have the freedom to do what they want but with limitations. Children is the hope of our future therefore how we can be the hope of our future if we are locked behind this tall bars for doing such bad things? I recommend to our government to have a program such as rehabilitation program for all the children who have done bad things. So that they can restore or reflect what they have done so that they will not do it again and live a better life again. One factor that a child can do bad things is lack of child support or attention from their families because of this the child tend to find a better way to do something which is bad or look attention to others. Another is the poverty, this children tend to do bad things just to sustain their needs in their family. Example of this is robbery or stealing to some stores just to make their stomach full. So let's think again and reflect what will be the result of approving this to the HOPE of our FUTURE?
video: Mj Marfori
