Child rights advocates fight vs lower age of criminal liability

CEBU, Philippines — The Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB), together with other child right’s advocates, continues to fight against the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

They call for the full implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act during the national synchronized protest yesterday.

Lawyer Noemi Truya-Abarientos, CLB spokesperson, said the protest serves to remind the Senate that they, child advocates, have not placed their guards down and will continue to organize support against the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

Yesterday, the Senate tackles the proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old from 15 years of age under Republic Act 9344 or Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

Also, it was the 13th anniversary yesterday of the effectivity of RA 9344.

Section 6 of RA 9344 provides that a child above 15 years but below 18 years of age who acted with discernment shall be held liable of a crime he or she committed.

“It seems that this administration is unrelenting in its bid to have more children face the court instead of community-based interventions for their reform,” Truya-Abarientos said.

Lowering of minimum age of criminal responsibility would only mean the increase of the number of children who will face trial, she said

“The advantage is only as to police perspective of arrest arrest arrest without regard for these children’s reformation. Law enforcement and the public in general have yet to be educated on concept of reformative justice,” she said.

She added what the Senate should do, is to strengthen the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act instead of lowering the age.

These children, she said, will just fill the centers without the view of them being reformed.

“Balik ra ta sa karaan,” she said.

Aside from CLB, Akbayan partylist, forge, and salvation groups joined the protest. (FREEMAN)