Senate, House to finalize bill on minor offenders

MANILA, Philippines - A Senate-House conference committee is expected to meet next week to finalize a bill that seeks to lower the minimum age for criminal liability of offenders who are minors.

On Wednesday, the House formed its panel of conferees that will meet with its Senate counterpart.

The panel includes Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, who chairs the revision of laws committee, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Mel Senen Sarmiento of Western Samar, Pablo Garcia of Cebu, Mercedes Alvarez of Negros Occidental, and Karlo Nograles of Davao City.

The approval by the two chambers of the proposed law reducing the minimum age for minor offenders was prompted by numerous complaints from law enforcers that they could not jail such criminals for being under 18 years of age.

The present law requires lawmen to release such violators to their parents, or to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), or local social welfare offices.

Policemen often complain that these offenders do not hesitate to commit multiple crimes with impunity since they cannot be sent to jail.

Under the version passed by the House, a minor offender is defined as a child 12 to 15 years of age who violated the law with discernment, and those 15 to 18 years of age at the time they committed a crime.     

For those aged 12-15, their sentence would be temporarily suspended. In the meantime, they would be committed to the DSWD or local social welfare offices.

If they violate the terms of their commitment, they would be returned to the committing court for the imposition of their penalty.

The measure transfers supervision and control of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council from the Department of Justice to the DSWD.

The Senate-House conference committee will have to rush its job since the two chambers will be in session only for three more days next week before going on a four-month recess until after the combined congressional-local elections on May 13.