SENATOR Joseph Victor Ejercito is opposing the move to lower the age of criminal liability to nine years old.

“It's the criminals who use minors that deserve heavy penalties,” Ejercito said in a radio interview.

He pointed out that he is more amenable to lowering it to the internationally accepted standard of 12 years old. “They should not go to regular jails because they need rehabilitation,” the senator added.

On the part of senatorial bet Rafael Alunan, he emphasized that there are no delinquent children, only delinquent parents.

According to Alunan, he will only hold the parents accountable for the actions of their children, as they are not teaching them correctly.

“If your child is committing a crime at nine years old and you are not doing anything about it, by the time [he or she] is 21, [he or she] will become the next headline crime story,” Alunan said.

Alunan pointed out that prevention is the most important part and not reaction, and the parents should be punished “harshly” by the law if their own children committed a crime.

“I will insist on that, I mean what is the point of parental responsibility if they cannot hold them accountable, it's our obligation,” he added.

On Monday, January 21, the House of Representatives committee on justice approved the bill that would lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to nine years old.