Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said that it is time to revisit the law on the minimum age of criminal liability as he expressed his support for Senate Bill 372 which aims to lower it from 17 years old to 10 years old.
Senator Robin Padilla stood in the plenary recently to deliver a Privilege Speech on the matter, stating different instances where suspects younger than 18 had committed heinous crimes and were spared by Republic Act 9344, the existing law which the bill aims to amend.
In an interview over the weekend, Dela Rosa expressed his support for Padilla’s move, citing his experience as a former police officer.
“Noong ako’y pulis, noong una nung nagawa yung batas, tumaas yung krimen na involved ang bata at noong napag aralan namin ay mga bata ang ginagamit na ng mga sindikato,” the veteran legislator said.
“May mga na uncover kami noon na ang droga, bata ang pinapadala.”
“May mga na uncover kami noon na ang droga, bata ang pinapadala at nilalagay pa sa loob ng cake yung shabu para ma-deliver so kung masita sila ng pulis, makita ‘Cake lang yan sir, pinapahatid sakin doon sa may birthday,’ yun pala ‘yun ang mode nila ‘pag transport ng droga,” the Mindanaoan seasoned lawmaker recalled.
“‘Yung mga akyat-bahay kung saan…bata ang pinapaakyat dahil…maliliit na bintana hindi kayang pasukin ng malaking tao.”
“Meron din ‘yung mga akyat-bahay kung saan…bata ang pinapaakyat dahil…maliliit na bintana hindi kayang pasukin ng malaking tao, bata ginagamit para makapasok…Yung bata pag hinabol mo, gumawa ng krimen at hinabol mo pag dakma mo dudukot kaagad sa bulsa, pakita ng birth certificate ‘Sir o, menor de edad pa ako.’ Ginagamit. Handang handa…ginagawang shield yung batas na ‘yan,” the former top cop added.
The head of the Senate’s public order committee said that it is time to revisit the law because the situation is getting worse, since young criminals are already able to create their own syndicates.
“I think it’s about time na ire-examine nanaman natin, irevisit natin tong batas na ito dahil nga noon, ang mga bata ang ginagamit ng sindikato. Pero ngayon, ang mga bata na mismo ang sindikato, hindi na sila nagpapagamit, sila na mismo ang organized as a syndicate, mga bata,” the senator said during his interpellation of Padilla’s speech recently.
