Marcos says lowering age of criminal liability needs further study

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday said lowering the age of criminal liability requires further study amid recent shooting and stabbing incidents involving minors.

Marcos expressed doubt about whether lowering the age of criminal liability would effectively address issues involving children, citing concerns over their mental health and changing social conditions.

“I’m not sure how that will work. We have to study it further. Yung ating mga child psychologists, yung mga surveys na ginagawa about the mental health of children, kailangan pag-aralan mabuti ’yan,” Marcos told reporters in Vancouver before heading back to Manila.

(I’m not sure how that will work. We have to study it further. Our child psychologists and the surveys being conducted on children’s mental health — we need to study those very carefully.)

Marcos made the statement amid renewed calls from law enforcement and some lawmakers to lower the minimum age of criminal liability following a string of violent crimes involving minors.

On June 22, two students aged 14 and 15 opened fire on their schoolmates at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, leaving three dead and seven others injured.

The suspects were later taken to a juvenile facility in Tacloban City instead of a regular detention center, reigniting calls for lawmakers to revisit the country’s juvenile justice law.

Under Republic Act No. 9344, children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability but must undergo an intervention program under the law.

If a child aged 12 to 15 commits a heinous crime — such as murder, rape, or major drug offenses — he or she is classified as a “neglected child.”

Marcos’ latest remarks, however, appear to differ from the Palace’s earlier position on the matter.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro had earlier said that Marcos was open to proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

“Pero sa ating pagkakaalam, yes, open ang Pangulo kung mabababa man ang edad po,” Castro said.

(But as far as we know, yes, the President is open to lowering the age of criminal liability.)

“Kung sina-suggest nila ay 12 years old, ito ay resonableng edad,” she added.

(If they are suggesting 12 years old, that is a reasonable age.)

In his latest statement, Marcos said lowering the age of criminal liability could imply that children today have changed compared to previous generations.

“Because if we are lowering the age of responsibility for such crimes, then it would imply that children have changed from before. So, whereas if they are under 18, under 16, will the thinking of the children change?” Marcos said.

“I mean, I’m not saying that that’s not the case. It’s possible. Nag-iba yung mundo, iba yung exposure nung mga bata. Iba yung exposure nila sa social media,” he added.

(I mean, I’m not saying that’s not the case. It’s possible. The world has changed, and children’s exposure is different now. Their exposure to social media is different.)—MCG, GMA News