Photo courtesy of Avito Dalan/PNA
The Senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development is set to review the country’s age of criminal liability following recent deadly incidents involving minors.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who chairs the panel, said Sunday that the review would look into implementation gaps in Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.
Tulfo said lawmakers needed to determine whether the current age threshold for criminal liability still fits present conditions, especially after cases of violence involving minors alarmed the public.
He cited the Tacloban City school shooting and stabbing incidents in Negros Occidental and Cavite as among the cases that prompted the review.
Aside from the age threshold, Tulfo said the panel would examine the shortage of functional Bahay Pag-asa facilities for children in conflict with the law and children at risk.
The committee will also look into intervention programs and parental accountability, which Tulfo said remain among the weak points in the implementation of the juvenile justice law.
Tulfo said his office was reaching out to legal experts, social welfare groups, parents and other sectors to gather inputs before the panel takes further action.
The issue has divided lawmakers, with Sen. Robin Padilla pushing to lower the age of criminal liability to 10, while ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio criticized the proposal as harsh. Sen. Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, sought an inquiry into digital platforms and violent games accessible to children following the Tacloban school shooting.
