House Panel Approves Lowering the Age of Criminal Liability

By:  Gabrielle Marie Louise Castro

​

Last January 21, 2019, the House committee on justice agreed to the bill that would lower the age of criminal liability from 15 years old to 9 years old.

The proposed house bill will amend Republic Act 10630, which states that the criminal liability is at 15 years old but for children aged 12 years old that is charged with heinous crimes will be detained in youth care facilities or Bahay Pag-Asa for rehabilitation.

​

Republic Act 10630 previously amended RA 9344, also known as the

Juvenile Justice Welfare Act of 2006, which sets the criminal liability

at 15 years old.

​

The drafted house bill will allow children aged 9 to 14 to undergo

mandatory rehabilitation to Bahay Pag-Asa.

​

Headed by House Justice Panel and Oriental Mindoro 1st District

Representative Salvador Leachon, he quickly reiterated that the bill

aims to protect children from being used by the syndicates.

​

“Recent news and reports show an alarming increase in the number

of syndicates using minors to perpetrate criminal acts and it is but the

time to pass this bill to protect our children from being used by

ruthless and unscrupulous criminal syndicates to evade prosecution

and punishment,” Leachon said.

​

The proposed house bill received a multitude of backlash against human rights groups. The Save the Children Philippines said in a statement that it is not for the betterment of the children.

​

“This will only push them to further discrimination, abuse and eventually into more ant-social behaviour,” they said.

 

“What we need is for the Juvenile Justice And Welfare Act to be fully implemented with clear programs and services for prevention, response, and the reintegration of children back into their families and communities.” They added.

 

UNICEF also cited that there is “lack of evidence and data that children are responsible for the increase in crime rates committed in the Philippines.”  

 

However, on January 28, 2019, the House of Representatives agreed to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 years old to 12 years old due to said resistance against the original age of 9 years old.

 

It is only a matter time wherein the house bill will be approved by the President himself.

​

​

ORACLE™, MARCH 2019

​

​