Juvenile Justice Law

Sometimes, I wonder if Jose Rizal’s famed quote, “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan” was so overused back in grade school that we just overlooked its meaning now that we’ve gotten older.

The plan to make amendments in the Juvenile Justice Law raised interesting opinion among the citizens; all differ and defended their point well. It was also a household discussion in a friend’s home, but I didn’t have a say about it not until two weeks after that.

Walking home alone on Thursdays has been a routine. It only takes five minutes by foot from my school, the University of Philippines-Cebu to my dormitory in Escario Street. I take the route at the back of Harold’s hotel to cut off a minute of my travel time.

That day, I took the same direction. It was roughly 4:30 pm, pausing once in a while when I hear beeps from the vehicles behind me, when I noticed two adolescent boys about 13 or 14 years old, walking towards me. We were just inches apart when one of them grabbed me by the arm and took me to the edge of a parked van. I was cornered. Surprised, I yelled “Naunsa man mo?!” They didn’t reply but I was answered with a swift hand movement by the second boy where he pulled out a kitchen knife from his side. It was then that I realized what was happening—hold up. Just in time when the cars weren’t moving, I looked at the drivers and passengers hoping for help, they avoided my gaze. I was reminded of my situation when the second boy who had bleached hair pushed the tip of the knife gently unto my stomach. “Cellphone” was all he said. And so that was how I lost my smartphone.

At such a young age, who would think they could be capable of doing heinous crimes?

The RA 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Law means “youths who commit adult crimes should serve adult time” as simplified by Efren Danao. This law states that a 15-year old child is already capable of telling what is right and wrong. Children offenders, aged 15-18, will be held in confinement as punishment. However, another bill, House Bill 6052 was created. It aims at lowering the minimum age of discernment from 15 to 12 years old.

According to Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, author of the Juvenile Justice Law, the international standard of the age of discernment is 12-14 years old. With the advancement of technology and the media being more accessible, it is clear how children will reach the age of discernment earlier.

After my incident, my initial reaction to the new bill was a big yes. Those criminals deserve as much punishment as they could get, I thought. But when I tried to put myself in their shoes, it was a different story.

Though they may be aware of what is right and wrong, isn’t it too simplified if these children offenders are sent to rehabilitation centers based on their discernment upon committing a crime? Many factors affect a child’s behavior such as the community they live in, how they were brought up, and what kind of peers they associate themselves with. Putting them in detaining centers may look as if they have been given a second shot at life but at the end of the day, it’s not a lasting solution to the rising crime rates of the youth. It goes down to the question why they do what they do—poverty.

The constitution recognizes the role of the youth in nation building but little has been invested in giving them accessible education. More so, hardly any job is available for the out of school youth.

What is basic in molding children’s attitude lies in their homes. Parental supervision is essential in shaping the youth. Children who committed crimes may or may not be punished but in the eyes of the society, fingers will be pointed to those supposed responsible adults.

How can the youth be the hope of the future when presently they are not well taken care of? Or perhaps we just need to be refreshed of Jose Rizal’s message.