Manila: Senator Francis Pangilinan has voiced his opposition to the renewed calls for lowering the age of criminal liability after a tragic school shooting in Tacloban City. Pangilinan emphasized that addressing the root causes of youth crime is more effective than lowering the minimum age for criminal responsibility.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pangilinan, in a Facebook Live discussion with Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco, argued that amending the law to lower the criminal liability age to 10 years would not tackle the fundamental issues leading children into criminal activities. He advocated for the stricter implementation of existing laws and the strengthening of family and community support systems to prevent youth crimes.
Oco supported Pangilinan's stance, highlighting that research identifies family dysfunction, peer pressure, community conditions, and poverty as significant factors driving juvenile offenses rather than the age defined in the law. She emphasized the need to examine these real causes behind youth crimes instead of focusing solely on the minimum age of responsibility.
The discussion emerged amid public outrage over the school shooting in Tacloban, which resulted in three student fatalities and several injuries, sparking renewed debate regarding the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. Oco pointed to the positive outcomes of the law's restorative justice framework, where many young offenders have successfully reformed and improved their lives instead of facing incarceration with hardened criminals.
Pangilinan stressed that the law should not be judged based on exceptional cases, as numerous beneficiaries have become productive members of society through rehabilitation programs. Both Pangilinan and Oco reiterated that minors involved in serious offenses can still be held accountable under existing laws through various measures, depending on their age and discernment level.
In contrast, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri supported proposals to restrict children's access to social media following the Tacloban incident. Zubiri expressed concerns about the influence of violent content and hateful behavior online on young minds. He referenced the pending Social Media Safety for Children Act, aiming to prohibit children under 16 from maintaining social media accounts, and called for a review of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act to consider trying minors as young as 14 who commit heinous crimes as adults.
