Bill lowering age of criminal liability slammed
MANILA, Philippines — Lowering the age of criminal responsibility of minors from 12 to 10 is not justice at all, Rep. Leila de Lima of party-list Mamamayang Liberal said, adding that children should instead be guided to the right path.
“It is not justice. It is abdication. It is a failure of imagination, of compassion and of government. Minors are not criminals,” she said.
De Lima issued the remarks in relation to the bill filed by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, in line with the advocacy of former president Rodrigo Duterte, which will make minors suffer imprisonment once caught violating the law.
“It is a recycled idea that refuses to die, no matter how many times child rights advocates, neuroscientists, developmental psychologists, social workers and human rights defenders have refuted it with facts and compassion,” De Lima stated.
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