House OKs bill criminalizing 12-yr-olds on 2nd reading
Credit to Author: acerojano| Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2019 09:15:12 +0000
Update
MANILA, Philippines — In an unprecedented move, the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old, and not nine years old as earlier proposed.
The lower chamber swiftly approved House Bill No. 8858 through a vote of ayes or nays only two days after it was approved at the committee level.
HB 8858, backed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, was swiftly approved by the House justice committee last Monday.
READ: House panel swiftly okays lower age of criminal liability | Amid jeers, House panel OKs lower age of criminal liability
Unless certified as urgent by the President, the proposed law could only be approved on third and final reading after three session days.
Amendments
Panel chair Rep. Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Salvador “Doy” Leachon said the sudden change in their proposed age of liability was a “consensus” among lawmakers.
“It was a consensus among all members of Congress nung nag-ikot tayo…” he said in an interview right after the approval of the proposed law.
He also said they would now dub the bill as lowering of “social responsibility” instead of lowering criminal responsibility.
Leachon earlier said children in conflict with the law, would not be jailed in ordinary prisons but in reformative institutions like the Bahay Pag-asa. There are only 58 operational youth care facilities nationwide, he admitted.
READ: Children in conflict with the law won’t be sent to ordinary prisons, Leachon clarifies
But Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines convenor Rom Dongeto and Bukidnon 3rd District Rep. Manuel Zubiri have warned that under the “poor” justice system in the country, children in conflict with the law would end up in ordinary prisons.
READ: Jails for adults may doom youth offenders, says solon
Only 1.7 percent of crimes can be attributed to minors, Dongeto added.
In the Senate, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate Bill No. 1603 seeking to lower the age of criminal liability to 12 years old, while Sotto filed SBN 2026 seeking to lower the age to “above 12 years old.” These bills have been pending at the chamber’s justice committee.