Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III believes that nine-year-olds may be too young to be penalized for the crimes that they would or have committed.
Sotto on Monday expressed reservation over the proposed lowering of the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 to nine-years-old which the House of Representatives Committee on Justice approved during the day.
“Baka sumobra. Siguro worst comes to worst, baka pumayag ako sa 11,” Sotto said.
He, however, maintained that young delinquents should be made accountable for their crimes as he reiterated that the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act No. 9344 which exempts children 15-years-old and below from criminal liability has already been “abused.”
He said children are not only being used by syndicates in illegal drugs and other criminal activities but also perpetrate crime on their own.
The Senate chief did not elaborate further on his reservation, noting that senators have proposed varying ages for the new minimum age of criminal liability.
He said he expects tedious debates in Senate over the specific age although he declared that “majority” of his colleagues agree to lower the age of criminal responsibility.
Sotto said the Senate, like the House of Representatives, is keen on prioritizing and approving the proposed lowering of the age of criminal liability before the 17th Congress ends.
The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, chaired by Sen. Richard J. Gordon, is scheduled to take up bills on the matter Tuesday.
Opposition lawmakers on Monday criticized the House Committee on Justice for the “hasty” passage of the bill lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility to nine-years-old.
Akbayan partylist Rep. Tom Villarin branded as “totally insane” the passage of the measure, citing that Congress has turned into a “bully.”
“The Justice Committee’s haste to have this bill passed without scientific, evidence-based, and factual basis shows how Congress turned into becoming a bully. It is totally insane that such law should be passed into law,” Villarin said. (Vanne Terrazola with a report from Charissa L. Atienza)
