Senator Kiko Pangilinan emphasized that disinformation and misleading narratives surrounding the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) have contributed to widespread misconceptions that children in conflict with the law are being encouraged to commit crimes.
Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, provides for the implementation of comprehensive national and local juvenile intervention programs for children in conflict with the law.
“It does not, in any way, empower children to commit crimes.”
It does not, in any way, empower children to commit crimes, Pangilinan said.
“At meron talagang accountability sa ilalim ng batas. Marami kasi ang nagkakalat ng disinformation o maling impormasyon na pagka menor de edad ay walang pananagutan,” the veteran legislator stressed during a Facebook Live with Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council Executive Director Atty. Tricia Oco.
“In fact, sa ilalim ng batas pagka pinakawalan mo yung menor de edad na nagkasala ay ito ay kontra sa batas at pwedeng panagutan, kasuhan itong mga nagsasabi at pinakakawalan ang mga nagkasala,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
The senator’s remarks come a day after the so-called Tacloban shooting, wherein two minor children opened fire at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, leaving three students dead and 20 others injured.
The suspects—aged 14 and 15—are now in police custody.
But the incident caused massive public backlash on the role of the schools and the government in preventing such attacks from happening, as well as concerns about seeking accountability from minor children.
He explained that the law, passed in 2006 under the Arroyo administration, does not exempt minors from punishment and that parents may also be held accountable.
Both Oco and Pangilinan said that the release of minor suspects also violates the law.
She, however, pointed out that while some states in the United States have 10 years old as the minimum age of criminal liability, this did not address the numerous school shootings that gripped the nation in recent years. The minimum age of criminal liability under the JJWA is 15.
“Huwag na huwag nating bigyan ng mga maling impormasyon ‘yung mga bata.”
“Yung sinasabi niyo, sir, na misinformation tsaka disinformation, ‘yun ‘yung tandaan natin. Huwag na huwag nating bigyan ng mga maling impormasyon ‘yung mga bata,” Oco said.
“Nakukuha din nila yan sa social media. Kasi marami din pong discussion sa social media na dito daw nakuha ng mga bata. Kasi hindi po talaga totoo ‘yun. Hindi totoo ‘yun na pag meron kayong ginawang kasalanan, sorry, pakakawalan lang kayo,” she added.
Oco called on adults to be responsible in guiding children and providing them with the correct information.
Pangilinan said that under the law, families of victims and survivors of crimes must receive psychosocial counseling and financial assistance from the government, with the local government unit serving as the “frontliner” in such cases.
Under the JJWA, children who commit offenses undergo intervention, diversion, and rehabilitation programs designed to prevent repeat offenses and help them reintegrate into society.
The law also holds parents, guardians, and communities accountable for ensuring the welfare and proper guidance of minors.
