Sotto thinks 9 years old is too young to be criminally responsible

Even Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who is also pushing for the lowering of the age of criminal liability, believes nine-year-olds are too young to be held responsible for a crime.

“Nine years old? Baka sumobra,” Sotto told reporters when sought for comment on the House justice committee approval of the bill seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to nine years old.

“Siguro worse comes to worst baka pumayag ako sa 11 (years old),” he added.

Sotto’s proposed measure, Senate Bill 2016, seeks to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years.

On the liability of the parents and guardians of children in conflict with the law, Sotto said there are other laws applicable to it but he will review it.

“Meron ng mga batas na ganun. Hindi (kasama sa bill ko) meron kaming binabanggit na ganun pero i’ll have to review its relationships with other laws,” he said.

The Senate leader said the chamber will prioritize the hearing on the lowering of age of criminal responsibility.

“Dapat priority, ang usapan namin ni Sen. (Richard) Gordon i-priority na at pagdebatehan namin. Ang importante matapos namin ‘yung period of interpellation, kung merong amendments i-prepare nila during break kasi babalik kami ng last week of May until first week of June. Pwedeng i-second reading, third reading,” he said.

The Senate committee on justice and human rights, chaired by Gordon, is set to hear the proposed measure Tuesday noon.

Asked if Malacanang asked for the immediate passage of the bill, Sotto said there was no formal request but President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned it to them during their informal talks.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said lowering the age of criminal liability is criminally short-sighted.

“I completely understand the public's real concerns about their safety, livelihood and property and the need for them to be addressed. Alam ko ang pangamba ng publiko sa mga menor de edad na sangkot sa pambabato ng mga sasakyan, bentahan ng droga, nakawan at karahasan. But to simply imprison minors is not the solution,” she said in a press statement.

She said while some of children in conflict with the law may have committed grave offenses, and will be held accountable under the laws, many of them simply lost their way due to poverty and lack of opportunities and are looking for chances to be rehabilitated.

“The real tough and strategic response to this matter is to strengthen and fully implement the existing Juvenile Justice Law while we improve socio-economic conditions and eliminate poverty. Juvenile penal systems focused on rehabilitation and education programs are more effective at reducing crime than simply imprisoning children,” said Hontiveros.

She said the government should go after those who put the children in harm's way.

“Instead of going after children, this government can make a real difference by getting tough on big-time drug lords, smugglers and plunderers like Peter Lim, the pork barrel lawmakers and the Marcoses. These are the people who push the poor and the vulnerable into crime. These people turn our children into victims by exploiting both their poverty and their desperation,” she said. —LDF, GMA News