Bohol lawmakers urged to lower age of criminal liability

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol— The Tagbilaran City Council has appealed to Bohol’s three congressional representatives to push for amendments to the country’s juvenile justice law by lowering the age of exemption from criminal liability for children in conflict with the law (CICL) from below 15 years old to below 10 years old.

The appeal is contained in Resolution No. 200-26, Series of 2026, which the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved during its regular session on Tuesday.

READ: Senate panel to review age of criminal liability

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The measure urges First District Rep. John Geesnell Yap II, Second District Rep. Maria Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado, and Third District Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas-Tutor to file and support legislation amending Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

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In approving the measure, the city council cited concerns that criminal syndicates have allegedly exploited the current law by recruiting minors below the existing age of exemption from criminal liability to carry out illegal activities because they cannot be prosecuted under existing provisions.

The council said the proposed amendment seeks to balance the protection of children’s rights with accountability for minors who possess sufficient discernment to understand the consequences of their actions. It emphasized that rehabilitation, intervention, and restorative justice programs for children in conflict with the law should remain integral parts of the juvenile justice system.

The resolution was adopted just days after the fatal shooting at a public high school in Tacloban City, where two minors were implicated in the deaths of three students and the wounding of several others.

The Tacloban tragedy has renewed public debate over Republic Act No. 9344, with some local officials and lawmakers calling for a review of the age of exemption from criminal liability, as child rights advocates continue to oppose proposals to lower the threshold./coa

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