Davao Del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez, along with Capiz 2nd District Representative Fredenil Castro, filed a bill seeking to lower the minimum age for criminal liability among minors being used as accomplices by criminals.
Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Delinquency Act of 2006— also known as the Pangilinan Law, named after its author Senator Francis Pangilinan— raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 9 to 15 years old, as per an article published by Rappler.
Alvarez and Capiz filed a bill seeking to amend RA 9344 and revert the minimum age to 9 years old in their House Bill 2 titled ‘Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Act’.
In their explanatory note for the bill, Alvarez and Castro stated, “Most children above this age, especially in these times when all forms and manner of knowledge are available through the internet and digital media, are already fully informed and should be taught that they are responsible for what they say and do.”
Alvarez and Castro likewise pointed out that with the current law, adult criminals ‘knowingly and purposely’ make use of kids below 15 years old to commit crimes such as drug trafficking because they know the latter can’t be held criminally liable for their actions.
Under the measure, offenders aged nine and above but not yet 18 years old shall be subjected to the full force of the law “if they are found to have acted with discernment in committing crimes.”
Meanwhile, those below nine years old at the time of the commission of an offense shall immediately be exempt from criminal liability but will be made to undergo an intervention program.
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