Child justice council rejects lowering age of criminal responsibility

Composite image from INQUIRER FILES.

MANILA, Philippines — The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), the policy-making body mandated to implement the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, opposed proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, saying studies have not shown that harsher laws necessarily deter youth violence.

“If we look at the drivers of violence, lowering the age does not automatically mean children will stop committing these acts,” JJWC Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco said in an interview on state-run PTV on Thursday.

She cited experiences in other jurisdictions, including parts of the United States, where stricter laws still coincide with high rates of school shootings.

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