AKBAYAN criticized the bill filed by Sen. Robin Padilla seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 years old.
“Robin wants to jail 10-year-olds, but he helped 64-year-old Bato Dela Rosa, who is accused of being a mass murderer, escape,” Akbayan Party-list President Rafaela David said in a Facebook post.
“Prison for children, but escape for Bato? What kind of thinking is that?” she added.
David said imprisoning children whose minds are still developing should not be considered rehabilitation.
“Robin was already an adult, fully capable of understanding his actions, when he went to prison. Did he really change? Didn’t he break the law again by helping Bato escape? How much more for children, whose minds are still developing?” she said.
She was referring to Padilla’s alleged role in helping Sen. Bato dela Rosa evade authorities. Dela Rosa remains wanted by law enforcement.
However, David clarified that Akbayan’s sympathies remain with the families of the victims of the shooting incident in Tacloban. / TRC S
