Going after kids the easy way to feign gov’t crackdown on crime —Kiko

Senator Francis Pangilinan has scoffed at the proposal to lower the age of criminal liability to nine years old, a measure that passed the House Committee on Justice on Monday.

Pangilinan, author of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, said data from the Philippine National Police showed that less than two percent of the crimes committed nationwide were committed by minors.

“If this government wishes to end pervasive criminality, it should focus its efforts on going after the more than 98 percent rather than the less than two percent," Pangilinan said.

"But then again it is easier to go after helpless minors than it is to go after powerful criminal syndicates backed by corrupt coddlers in government,” he added.

"Going after minors is a convenient way of allowing criminal syndicates and corrupt government officials and elements of the PNP to get off the hook while making it appear that government is strong on crime," Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan said intelligence information from the Philippine National Police at the time RA 9344 was the law was being amended in 2013 indicated that minors in criminal activities are emboldened because they are coddled and backed by criminal syndicates run by corrupt men in uniform or corrupt local/barangay officials.

“Ano ang pinagkaiba nito sa kasalukuyang drug war na ang maliliit lang at walang kalaban-laban ang dinidiin at pinapatay habang hindi kinakasuhan o nahuhuli ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno, mga drug lord at sindikato na ilang ulit ng nagpalusot ng bilyong-bilyong pisong shabu sa Customs?” Pangilinan said.

The House Committee on Justice on Monday approved a substitute bill seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to nine years old.

After an executive session, the justice panel approved the motion of Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro to approve the substitute bill to House Bills 2, 505, 935, 1609, 2009 and 3973—all seeking a lower age of criminal responsibility.

Under the bill, a child nine years old and below at the time of the commission of offense would be exempted from criminal liability, while those above nine years old but under 18 years old would be exempted from criminal liability unless the minor acted with discernment.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto questioned the basis of the measure.

“Ilan po ba ang drug lords na nine years old sa bansa ngayon? Ilan po bang nuebe anyos ang sangkot sa kidnap-for-ransom?" Recto said.

"Mayroon po bang mga sampung taong gulang na kilabot na carnapper? Sa record ng BOC (Bureau of Customs), ilang onse anyos na ba ang nahuli sa pagpupuslit ng shabu? Where is the science in pegging the age threshold at nine?” he added.

He said the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility called for evidence-based legislation, adding that it should be grounded on facts and supported by studies, not on whims, and unproven theories.

“We need to read the scholarship behind the proposed policy. In the absence of any, we may be legislating based on superstition,” Recto said.

“If a law is meant to remedy a problem, then what is the projected drop in the crime index that the desired policy will bring? Magbalangkas po tayo ng batas na base sa datos at hindi sa akala at haka-haka,” he added. —NB, GMA News