Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Mga bata sa Bahay Pag-asa (Children in conflict with the law)

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755176090429minors-in-reform-centers-040517.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Children at a Bahay Pag-asa reform center, file</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Francis Pangilinan lamented the disinformation and fake claims that minors who commit crimes — Children in Conflict with the Law — cannot be punished or prosecuted under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which he authored. </p><p>Pangilinan, in his interpellation of Sen. Robinhood Padilla&#x27;s privilege speech calling to lower the age of criminal liability to 10 from 15, lamented how &quot;fake news&quot; and disinformation have affected the public&#x27;s understanding of the law.</p><p>He said he does not disagree with Padilla that victims of crimes committed by minors deserve justice.</p><p>“Marahil maraming kinakailangan din na liwanagin o linawin sa usapin ng ano nga ba ang tunay na mga probinsyon o tunay na mga posibleng mga pang implementa ng batas at ikumpara ito sa mga hindi tama o kaya disinformation,” he added.</p><p>(I think there are many things that need to be clarified on what the actual provisions and supposed implementation of the law are against wrong perceptions of it) </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/litigation-lawyer-admits-increase-in-crimes-involving-children-1149"><strong>Litigation lawyer admits increase in crimes involving children<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW PENALIZES MINORS</strong></div><p>Pangilinan, who authored the law in 2006 and its amendments in 2013, clarified that the Juvenile Justice Law provides punishment for minors who commit crimes.</p><p>Minors who commit serious offenses like rape and homicide are sentenced to mandatory confinement of no less than a year, he said.</p><p>He added that the case of the Maguad siblings that Padilla cited in arguing for a lower age of criminal responsibility showed minors can be held liable for their crimes.</p><p>“In other words, hindi tama yung sinasabi na dahil menor de edad ay hindi pwede parusahan, dahil yung dalawang involved sa Maguad killings pinarusahan, nakakulong ngayon,” Pangilinan said.</p><p>(It is not true that just because they are minors, they cannot be penalized, because the two involved in the Maguad killings were punished. They are in prison now. We don&#x27;t want these crimes to happen)</p><p>He stressed that it is not true that Children in Conflict with the Law are released just because they are minors. </p><p>Pangilinan said that authorities who release CICLs without the proper intervention are breaking the law.</p><p>“Labag sa batas yan at dapat parusahan yung mga nagpapakawala ng mga menor de edad na nagkasala,” he pointed out.</p><p>(That is against the law and they themselves should be held liable)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RESTORATIVE JUSTICE</strong></div><p>The Juvenile Justice Law, which was subjected to heavy criticism during the Duterte administration by then President Rodrigo Duterte himself, is based on restorative justice, which focuses on rehabilitation instead of punishment.</p><p>Pangilinan has in the past said that the problem is not with the law but with its implementation.</p><p>Under the law, local government units are supposed to put up Bahay Pag-asa centers that provide rehabilitation and interventions to CICLs.</p><p>In 2019, when Congress also debated proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility, there were only 63 Bahay Pag-asa facilities across the entire Philippines.</p><p>Pangilinan shared on Wednesday that 70 percent of Children in Conflict with the Law who went through rehabilitation were able to lead normal lives again.</p><p>“We welcome this opportunity na magkaroon talaga ng diskusyon, makita ang maganda sa batas, makita ang kakulangan sa implementasyon, at tingnan din natin itong usapin nung lowering of the age,” Pangilinan said, though saying that 10 years old is too young to be held criminally responsible.</p><p>(We welcome this opportunity to really have a discussion, see the good aspects of the law, see the lapses in implementation and also look at the proposal of lowering the age)</p><p>Pangilinan also emphasized that fully implementing the Juvenile Justice Act required both compassion and accountability.</p><p>He said there are ongoing efforts to ensure that rehabilitation, education, and reintegration, not mere punishment, remain at the heart of the juvenile justice system.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zTW4VDDbdVM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“In other words, hindi tama yung sinasabi na dahil menor de edad ay hindi pwede parusahan, dahil yung dalawang involved sa Maguad killings pinarusahan, nakakulong ngayon,” Pangilinan said.</p>

“In other words, hindi tama yung sinasabi na dahil menor de edad ay hindi pwede parusahan, dahil yung dalawang involved sa Maguad killings pinarusahan, nakakulong ngayon,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan: Minors involved in crimes are penalized under Juvenile Justice Law

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Pangilinan: Minors involved in crimes are penalized under Juvenile Justice Law

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 14, 2025 09:01 PM PHT

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Francis Pangilinan

Robinhood Padilla

Juvenile Justice Act

juvenile justice system

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