The proposed law was among measures sought by President Rodrigo Duterte to further extend his deadly crackdown on drugs and crime, which has killed thousands since mid-2016. Duterte’s allies had originally proposed lowering the “age of criminal liability” to nine, but after mounting outrage the lower House of Representatives raised it to 12 and passed the bill on the second reading. The current age at which children are held criminally liable in the Philippines is 15. If the Senate — where the bill has attracted greater opposition — approves it the Philippines would join countries like Afghanistan which punish 12-year-old children for criminal acts. Duterte claimed on Tuesday that drugs gangs exploit the current law to use children to deliver methamphetamines.

Source: The Express Tribune January 23, 2019 16:06 UTC