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MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – The House committee on justice approved the bill that would lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to 9 years old.
On Monday, January 21, the justice panel gave its thumbs up to the substitute bill that would amend Republic Act (RA) 10630, the law that currently retains the minimum age of criminal liability at 15 but allows children as young as 12 to be detained in youth care facilities or Bahay Pag-asa for serious crimes only such as rape, murder, and homicide, among others.
RA 10630 previously amended RA 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which sets the age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old.
The still unnumbered House bill would mandate that children 9 to 14 years old who will commit serious crimes – such as murder, parricide, infanticide, serious illegal detention, carnapping, and violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 – be subjected to "mandatory confinement" for rehabilitation at Bahay Pag-asa.
House justice panel chairperson and Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Salvador Leachon said the bill primarily seeks to protect children from being used by syndicates to commit crimes. (READ: Children in conflict with the law: Cracks in Juvenile Justice Act)
“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. They are not branded as criminals but children in conflict with the law,” said Leachon.
“Reformative institutions do not punish individuals but instead, they were established to help the children to be integrated back to the community after they have committed criminal acts,” he added.
Read More: https://www.rappler.com/nation/221497-house-panel-approves-bill-lowering-minimum-age-criminal-responsibility-january-21-2019
On Monday, January 21, the justice panel gave its thumbs up to the substitute bill that would amend Republic Act (RA) 10630, the law that currently retains the minimum age of criminal liability at 15 but allows children as young as 12 to be detained in youth care facilities or Bahay Pag-asa for serious crimes only such as rape, murder, and homicide, among others.
RA 10630 previously amended RA 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which sets the age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old.
The still unnumbered House bill would mandate that children 9 to 14 years old who will commit serious crimes – such as murder, parricide, infanticide, serious illegal detention, carnapping, and violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 – be subjected to "mandatory confinement" for rehabilitation at Bahay Pag-asa.
House justice panel chairperson and Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Salvador Leachon said the bill primarily seeks to protect children from being used by syndicates to commit crimes. (READ: Children in conflict with the law: Cracks in Juvenile Justice Act)
“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. They are not branded as criminals but children in conflict with the law,” said Leachon.
“Reformative institutions do not punish individuals but instead, they were established to help the children to be integrated back to the community after they have committed criminal acts,” he added.
Read More: https://www.rappler.com/nation/221497-house-panel-approves-bill-lowering-minimum-age-criminal-responsibility-january-21-2019
