AMID CLAIMS IT MAY BE RAISED FROM 9 TO 12

Alvarez: No compromise in lowering age of criminal liability

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has denied that the proposed lowering of age of criminal liability may be changed to 12 years old, insisting that the measure is set to nine years old.

Alvarez asserted this amid talks of a “compromise” that some lawmakers have considered raising the proposed minimum age of criminal liability, as they face opposition not only from colleagues, but among concerned government agencies.

“Wala,” he replied in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

“Nag-aral ako ng law, nine years old na ‘yan. At mas advanced na tayo ngayon in terms of discernment. Bakit kailangan nating iakyat ‘yan?” he said.

A proposal is currently pending in Congress to lower the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 years old to nine.

‘Compromise’

Lawmakers from the opposition had claimed that some of the measure’s proponents are open to pushing for 12 years old instead, after last week’s closed-door meeting between solons and agencies that are part of the Juvenile Justice Welfare Council.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat said the "problem of the leadership is how to get [the council] to agree" to the bill.

“The compromise was 12 [years old], pero majority [sa council] ayaw pa rin. They won’t change their stand kasi 15 [years old], to them, is the ideal, and also that’s the international trend,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“What we heard from the grapevine [was] that they might use—kasi magsisimula na ‘yung budget [deliberations]—they could threaten these agencies who would not agree to this compromise, they will disapprove their budget, they would question their budget,” he added.

Baguilat, who is part of the “Magnificent 7” minority bloc, noted that “almost all of the resource persons” from the agencies “expressed a dissenting position” against the measure.

The council includes the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Education (DepEd), and Justice (DOJ), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). 

DSWD, along with CHR, has openly opposed the measure, with Secretary Judy Taguiwalo saying it “violates the fundamental principles of social protection of children, as provided for by law.”

‘More of a command’

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, who also opposes the bill, said the House leadership seemed agitated that Cabinet members, except Education Sec. Leonor Briones, failed to attend the meeting.

He said Alvarez reiterated that Cabinet members must support the measure because it is a priority legislation of President Rodrigo Duterte.

A technical working group, headed by Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, has been formed in an effort to “salvage this bill.” It is tasked to get inputs of the departments for a committee report that supposedly favors the measure, he added. 

“‘Yung appeal na ginawa nila was heavy, hindi naman talaga appeal. It was more of a command, that being the alter egos of the President, you follow the President’s directive,” Villarin told GMA News Online in a phone interview after the meeting.

Alvarez initially denied attending an executive session during Wednesday’s interview, but later said he attended “the meeting of the council.”

The House speaker said no threat was made regarding the agencies’ budgets, but he admitted that he believes Cabinet members must resign if they cannot agree with the President’s views. 

“I just reminded the secretaries that they are the alter ego of the President. Now, if they don’t agree with the President, they might as well tender their resignation. Because as Cabinet secretaries, you cannot contradict the views of the President,” he said. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ, GMA News