Duterte-Cayetano tandem eyes revision to Juvenile law

CEBU, Philippines -  Presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is pushing for the amendment of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act that has been exploited by crime and drug syndicates by using children for their illegal activities.

“Sobra na ang gulo kaya sobra na ang hirap ng tao. In many cases, drug traffickers use minors as couriers, a modus operandi made rather convenient by the law. Often times, these guys just go scot-free and grow up with no sense of accountability,” Duterte said in a statement.

He said it is time to bring back order and keep the children off the streets as he intends to wage an all-out war against organized crimes.Duterte was supported by his runningmate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.  

They said the minimum age of criminal liability should be lowered from 15 to 12 years old noting that moral autonomy usually develops as early as 10 years old.

 For repeat offenders, they said a new provision should be inserted so that those above 15 but below 18 who were subjected to a diversion program and are not first-time violators shall be treated as adult offenders.

Cayetano clarified, however, that minors would be placed in separate detention facilities and given the same rehabilitation, reintegration, and after-care services to ensure their normal growth.

He said tough anti-crime measures must go hand-in-hand with restorative justice when it comes to Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL).

They are also studying the possibility of aggravating the punishment for adults who try to exploit minors and use them in carrying out their criminal activities.

“Our goal in pushing for these amendments is to end the disorder in the streets. Through this, we reduce the number of crimes committed by minors and protect them from notorious criminals and syndicates who take advantage of their vulnerabilities,” Cayetano said in the same statement.

There are over 11,000 CICL in the country as of 2009, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) reported.

The statement added that according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, most of these CICLs are between 14 and 17 years old but some cases involve much younger children. — (FREEMAN)