In 1989, world leaders made a historic commitment to the world’s children by adopting the UNCRC. On June 3, 1989, the Philippines signed the UNCRC and became one of the first countries to sign the treaty. The UNCRC has commended countries, including the Philippines, for having a high minimum age of criminal responsibility. Senate Bill 2026 attempts to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12 and allow children to be placed in a closed youth facility from the age of nine. The bill argues that lowering the age of criminal responsibility will curb criminality and stop adults from using children in criminal activities but the UNICEF said “this is a flawed argument.”UNICEF added that the proposal to lower the age of criminal liability to 12 years old is a “giant leap backward.”

Source: Philippine Star June 03, 2019 16:00 UTC