Duterte-Cayetano to
amend Juvenile Justice Law, rescue children from crime and disorder
Press Release
February 2, 2016
MAKATI CITY –
Presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his running
mate Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano today pushed for the
amendment of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, whose loopholes
they said are being exploited by crime and drug syndicates to use
children for 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.
"It's time to bring back
order and keep our kids off the streets as we wage an all-out war
against organized crime," he added.
The tandem 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 age 10. 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 (CCIL).
"Sa kamay na bakal na
pupuksa sa krimen, may kamay na aaruga sa nais magbago at magbalik
loob sa batas. Ito ang tatak Duterte-Cayetano," the senator said.
The duo is 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.
There are over 11,000 CICL
in the country as of 2009, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC)
reported. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
observed that most of these CICL are between 14 and 17 years old, but
some cases involve much younger children.