Duterte ‘comfortable’ with minimum age of criminal liability at 12

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he was "comfortable" with the decision of the House of Representatives to peg the age of criminal responsibility at 12 years old.

"If it's the final decision, I'm comfortable with it... It's okay with me. Twelve, okay na," Duterte told reporters in Pasay City.

The approval of the bill on second reading in the House came after several lawmakers and child rights groups criticized the previous proposal to lower the age of criminal liability at nine.

They pointed to the lack of evidence and data that children are responsible for the increase in crime rates committed in the country as well as studies showing discernment does not develop until 16 years old.

Duterte, however, did not see anything wrong with setting the age of criminal responsibility at nine.

"'HIndi. Yun ang original law bago pinakiilaman ni [Senator Francis Pangilinan]," he said. "Return to the original law but if you have some other ideas in mind, I'm open to it. Suggestion ko lang."

The President said he would have wanted it pegged at nine years old so that the parents would be "conscious of the criminal accountability already."

"They [parents] will be ultimately responsible. Sila yung tatamaan eh," he said.

The bill aims to amend the Pangilinan-authored Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 which exempts youth offenders 15 years old and below from criminal liability.

Duterte had said that the current law has laid the foundation for the emergence of a new generation of criminals.

"When minors are released in as many times as they are arrested, criminality becomes a part of their lives and thereby evolving into being full blown criminals,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said, adding statistics show that “there is a surge of offenses committed by children.”

Panelo also said the intent of the bill is to protect children against criminals who victimize and coerce them to become offenders and to deter criminals from using children in committing crimes.

A counterpart measure in the Senate aims to set the age of criminal responsibility at 13. —NB, GMA News