Senate ratifies Juvenile Justice Law amendments

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate has ratified a bicameral conference committee report on the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Law seeking to lower the age of criminal liability for minors.

In yesterday’s plenary session, the last for the 15th Congress, the Senate ratified the committee report on Senate Bill 3324 and its counterpart House Bill 6052, which would now be transmitted to the President for signing into law.

Under the bill, the age of criminal liability for minors would remain at 15.

However, in light of a Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the commitment of children, the minimum age of minors that should be committed to a youth care facility or Bahay Pagasa is now 12.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the principal author and sponsor of the bill, said any child aged 12 to 15 who committed a heinous crime punishable by more than 12 years imprisonment should be deemed a neglected child under the Child and Youth Welfare Code.

Considered heinous crimes are murder, infanticide, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, rape, destructive arson and crimes punishable under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

As a neglected child, the minor should be placed under a special facility within the youth care facility called the Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center (JISC).

The social welfare officer of the local government unit where the crime was committed, or the social worker of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is required to file a petition before the court for the involuntary confinement of the minor in the JISC.

Children under 15 years who commit crimes considered not heinous, would be subjected to a community-based intervention program with the supervision of the local social welfare and development officer.

“If the child has been found by the local social welfare and development officer to be dependent, neglected, abandoned or abused by his or her parents, and the best interest of the child requires, he or she should be placed in a youth care facility or Bahay Pagasa,” Pangilinan said.

Children above 12 to 15 years old who commit an offense for the second time and who were previously subjected to a community-based intervention program.