“Recently, there have been efforts to undermine the impact of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act by proposing to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility. But this is not a fact,” UNICEF said. The Senate will debate on the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility. The agency said children in conflict with the law are already victims of circumstance, mostly because of poverty and exploitation by adults. Adopted on May 20, 2006 and amended in 2013, RA 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) promotes the creation of a child-friendly justice system focused on rehabilitation and restoration rather than punishment.

Source: Philippine Star May 19, 2019 16:49 UTC