President Duterte on Wednesday said he is comfortable with the proposal of the House of Representatives to lower the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 to 12-years-old.
Duterte made the statement hours after the House of Representatives approved on second reading the bill reducing criminal responsibility among minors but amended the measure to set the minimum age of criminal responsibility from nine to 12.
According to Duterte, he wanted to restore the criminal age of liability to the original but said he is comfortable with the decision of the House to lower the age from 15 to 12.
“If it’s the final decision…I’m comfortable with it. I’m comfortable with it. As long as…above 12, below 16, ‘yung indeterminate sentence law lang,” Duterte said.
“Binabalik ko ‘yung original. It was really above nine, below 12. Tapos, above 12, below 16. Yun ang original, binabalik ko lang,” he added.
“Well, ang sabi ko ibalik na lang ninyo sa dati. Sabi ko, but kung ayaw ninyo and you want other… may trajectory kayo na iba, then it’s OK. Twelve OK na.” (Argyll Geducos)