Friday, December 07, 2007 Lawmaker to local execs: give juvenile law a chance By Carlo P. Mallo
SOUTH Cotabato Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio believes that the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Law (JJWL) should be given a chance to prove its worth.
"These are children that we are talking about," she said Thursday.
The JJWL has been implemented since mid-2006 and has since been the subject of criticism especially by local government leaders.
One of the major criticisms against the law is that it has raised the age of exemption from criminal liability. Prior to the enactment of the law, criminal liability was incurred by minors over nine years old. With the present law, criminal liability may only be incurred by minors over the age of 15.
Custodio added that should the age of criminal liability be lowered, all other age requirements must also be lowered. "If we want to lower the age of criminal liability, why don't we also lower the age for marriage, or to vote," the lawmaker said.
"These children are victims of the circumstance, they have been neglected, abused, betrayed at a very young age," she added.
She elaborated that as children have been exposed to bad elements, it is then the responsibility of the society to take the cudgels.
"We must give these children a second chance," Custodio said.
