Child justice council rejects lowering age of criminal responsibility

MANILA, Philippines — The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), the policy-making body mandated to implement the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, opposed proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, saying studies have not shown that harsher laws necessarily deter youth violence.

“If we look at the drivers of violence, lowering the age does not automatically mean children will stop committing these acts,” JJWC Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco said in an interview on state-run PTV on Thursday.

She cited experiences in other jurisdictions, including parts of the United States, where stricter laws still coincide with high rates of school shootings.

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Oco said authorities should focus on the underlying factors contributing to violence among children, including family environment, community influences, bullying, peer pressure, and exposure to violence.

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She also identified social media and online content as possible contributing factors, saying children are increasingly exposed to material where violence may appear normalized.

“Even adults can be misled by social media. Children are even more vulnerable because their minds are still developing,” Oco said.

“Guidance from families and communities remains critical in preventing violent behavior among young people,” she added.

READ: ‘Unacceptable:’ Marcos ‘heartbroken’ by Tacloban school shooting

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Amid opposition from child care experts and government agencies concerned with children’s rights, Malacañang said on Thursday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains open to proposals to amend Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

Marcos’ decision, however, would depend on the version of the enrolled bill filed in Congress that would reach the president.

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The president still has no concrete position on the minimum age for exemption from criminal liability, but the suggestion of the Philippine National Police to lower it from the current 15 years old to 12 years old seems to be “reasonable.”

RA 9344 was amended by RA 10630 in October 2013. However, the new law did not adjust the minimum age of criminal responsibility, which remained at 15 years old.

Before this, the Philippines followed the provisions of the Spanish-era Revised Penal Code, which placed the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 9 years old.

Based on data from the JJWC, the most common crimes committed by children in conflict with the law (CICLs) involve theft, physical injuries, illegal drug possession, and drug trading, which Oco described as “crimes of survival.”

In the past 10 years, the JJWC observed a decline in the number of CICLs.

From 24,683 CICLs recorded in 2016, the number decreased by 77 percent to 5,698 in 2025.

READ: Criminal raps vs 15-year-old; rehab for younger suspect

The government must adopt a multi-agency approach and strengthen preventive measures to address youth violence and prevent incidents similar to recent school-related attacks from happening again, according to Oco.

“We need to study the causes of why young people are being pushed to commit these kinds of crimes,” Oco said. “After identifying those causes, we should develop policies, mechanisms, and measures that can prevent or stop children from engaging in violent behavior.”

Oco said the government has already implemented several interventions, citing the important role parents play in preventing children from being exposed to violence or engaging in violent acts.

She pointed to programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), including Parent Effectiveness Seminars, which aim to help families strengthen parenting practices.

She also said poverty remains a contributing risk factor that may lead some children into conflict with the law, adding that the DSWD has programs that provide economic assistance to vulnerable families.

However, Oco emphasized that preventing youth violence should not rest on one agency alone. She recommended stronger school-based interventions under the Department of Education.

Among the measures she proposed are strengthening anti-bullying programs and equipping teachers with skills to identify warning signs among students, including bullying incidents or behavioral tendencies that could indicate a child may harm others.

Oco also noted the need to increase the number of guidance counselors and teachers in public schools to help identify issues early and provide timely intervention. —With a report from Andre Esguerra, intern

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