Senate approves Juvenile Justice Bill

The Senate has approved the Juvenile Justice Bill, a move that was described by United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) as "a great day for children and the Philippines."

Unicef representative to the Philippines Dr. Nicholas Alipui said they welcome the Senate’s passage of the bill and expects the law to be enacted by Congress early next year.

Alipui said the Juvenile Justice Bill would mean that thousands of children locked up in jail would now be able "to go back to school, realize their dreams and hopefully try and reclaim their childhood."

"Today is a great day for children and a great day for the Philippines because of the unanimous passage of this bill by the Philippine Senate," Alipui said.

The bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, was passed with a vote of 21-6 on third and final reading by the Senate last Tuesday.

"We certainly look forward to the bicameral hearing and we are positive that CICL (children in conflict with the law) will soon enjoy their childhood decently in the cradle of restorative justice," Pangilinan said.

Among the highlights of the bill is a provision prohibiting the detention of children in jails.

Prior to the passage of the bill, children have been made to stay in the same prison facility as adults, including those who have been convicted of serious crimes.

The bill also raises the age of criminal responsibility from nine years old to a minimum of 15 years old.

Children aged 15 to 18 are also exempt from criminal liability unless it is proven by the prosecution that they acted with discernment.

"We applaud the serious efforts of the Philippine government to bring its justice system into closer compliance with the Convention of the Rights of the Child together with the broad coalition of civil society, media, faith based organizations that have advocated for this measure," Alipui said.

Once enacted, at least 70 percent of criminal cases against children would be dismissed outright.

Unicef is one of the members of the Juvenile Justice Network-Philippines, a broad coalition of government agencies and non-governmental organizations responsible for groundwork on the child protection law.