DAVAO del Norte First District Representative De Carlo “Oyo” Uy convened a multisectoral forum in Tagum City early this week to discuss proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (Republic Act 10630) following the killing of 19-year-old University of the Philippines student Sophia Marie Coquilla.
Coquilla was found dead inside her home at Purok 3-A, Barangay La Filipina, Tagum City, on July 9, 2025, with around 38 stab wounds. Authorities said several valuables, including her laptop, iPad, iPhone, and watches, were stolen, indicating robbery as the motive.
Four suspects have been arrested, including three male minors: a 14-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 17-year-old, and a 19-year-old man from Davao Oriental.
Authorities said that the 14-year-old suspect will not face criminal charges under current law, while the two older minors face robbery with homicide charges and are set to be transferred to a rehabilitation center.
Representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (DSWD-JJWC), Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, Philippine National Police, and local government units attended the forum, identifying gaps in implementation such as the lack of youth rehabilitation facilities, insufficient funding, and weak interagency coordination.
Uy said recommendations from the meeting would guide a bill he plans to file to strengthen the juvenile justice system, emphasizing the need to balance justice for victims with the rights of minors. Officials also visited rehabilitation facilities in Davao del Norte to evaluate their condition.
The forum also comes amid renewed debate on juvenile criminal liability.
Senator Robinhood Padilla has filed Senate Bill No. 372 seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 10 years old for minors involved in heinous crimes, including murder, rape, kidnapping with homicide or rape, and serious drug offenses.
Padilla cited shocking cases involving minors, while Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Sherwin Gatchalian warned that lowering the age would not solve systemic problems, advocating instead for stronger enforcement of existing laws.
Senators Raffy and Erwin Tulfo expressed support for the proposal, citing victims’ families’ frustrations and the lack of adequate rehabilitation facilities.
The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (R.A. 9344), amended by R.A. 10630 in 2013, sets the minimum age of criminal liability at 15, allowing prosecution of minors aged 15 to 17 only if proven to have acted with discernment.
Proposals to reduce the age threshold to 9 or 12 have been repeatedly raised but not enacted.
In May 2025, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council, together with the DSWD, DOJ, Bureau of Corrections, and Department of Public Works and Highways, broke ground on the country’s first agricultural rehabilitation camp for children in conflict with the law in Puerto Princesa City to provide structured reintegration programs.
The JJWC has also deployed a centralized database for tracking cases involving minors to improve coordination among agencies. DEF
