The Palace on Thursday said it backs the proposal of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to lower the minimum age of criminal liability to 13 years old.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Sotto’s bill is consistent with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to lower the minimum age to help curb criminality in the country.
“The President stands firm that the Pangilinan Act is wrong. The age of criminal responsibility must be lowered down,” Roque said in a radio interview.
Roque explained that minor offenders will be taken under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for detention in youth care facilities.
“So, the reformation of the youth continues, they will not be jailed. But that’s because they will be under the custody of the people who can take care of them better,” said Roque, pointing out that it’s the parents’ fault for not guiding their children properly.
“If they are only being cared for properly by their parents, then they [minors] will not commit crimes,” said Roque.
On Monday, Sotto filed Senate Bill 2026, seeking to lower the age of criminal liability from the current 15 years old to 13.
“This bill will finally give clarity to the true intention of the law. The amendment to the law will institutionalize the criminal liability of teenagers who committed a serious criminal offense,” he said in a statement.
Sotto presented viral videos of minors committing crimes as he filed the said bill.
He also cited a study by the Child Rights International Network, stating that other countries have already implemented a lower minimum age of criminal liability, while some states in the United States have set none.
The lawmaker argued that criminal syndicates take advantage of the provisions of Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 by using minors to commit illegal acts as the law authored by opposition Senator Francis Pangilinan, exempts children 15 years old and below from criminal liability.
“Due to the continuing challenge in the implementation of RA 9344, as amended, the aforesaid law must be further amended to lower the minimum age of criminal liability in order to adapt to the changing times,” Sotto said, expressing confidence that Duterte will certify the measure as an urgent bill.
Last year, the President called on Congress to lower the age of criminal liability in the country, slamming Pangilinan for creating such a law when it only produced “people with criminal minds.”