Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782283550522HLh2q1saAAACCz4 (10).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Children play outdoors at a neighborhood inside the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila on July 10, 2021.<em> George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Several groups are urging caution against &quot;exploiting&quot; the fatal Tacloban school shooting to push for lower age of criminal responsibility, as some lawmakers argued that current laws are enough to exact accountability from children in conflict with the law.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/24/police-file-criminal-raps-vs-15-year-old-tacloban-school-shooter-0927">Police file criminal raps vs 15-year-old Tacloban school shooter</a></div><p>The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and Akbayan on Wednesday called out Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who is now advocating for the &quot;urgent amendment&quot; of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) in the aftermath of the shooting incident in Tacloban City that claimed the lives of 3 students. The alleged shooters, aged 14 and 15, are also students of the same school.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/padilla-wants-age-of-criminal-responsibility-down-to-10-years-old-after-tacloban-school-shooting-1813">Padilla wants age of criminal responsibility down to 10 years old after Tacloban school shooting</a></div><p>&quot;Every time a crime involving children makes headlines, Senator Padilla&#x27;s solution is always the same: lower the age of criminal responsibility... The public should stop believing the false narrative that children are exempt from accountability. They are not,&quot; said PAHRA Secretary-General Edgar Cabalitan.</p><p>Akbayan reiterated that under Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, minors aged 15 and above may be held criminally liable if proven to have acted with discernment.</p><p>&quot;The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act holds minors who commit crimes, especially heinous ones, accountable,&quot; Akbayan president Rafaela David said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/24/tacloban-school-shooter-attended-flag-ceremony-hid-in-cr-before-crime-pnp-0950">Tacloban school shooter attended flag ceremony, hid in CR before crime: PNP</a></div><p>Sen. Francis Pangilinan, author of the law, said that disinformation and misleading narratives &quot;have contributed to widespread misconceptions that children in conflict with the law are being encouraged to commit crimes.&quot;</p><p>The senator explained that the law, passed in 2006 under the Arroyo administration, does not exempt minors from punishment and that parents may also be held accountable.</p><p>Amnesty International Philippines said the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Tacloban school shooting &quot;must never come at the expense of children’s rights.&quot; </p><p>&quot;In moments of grief and public outrage, the government must resist punitive responses that have repeatedly proven ineffective and instead uphold its mandate to protect every child while ensuring accountability by upholding human rights standards,&quot; it said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DOES IT WORK?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Padilla said that the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Philippines should be 10 years old, instead of the 14 under RA 9344, citing as example &quot;countries in Asia and Europe.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Marami din sa Asia ganoon na. Bakit hindi natin gayahin sila? Sa Europe mismo eh. Europe nga na sinasabi natin nandoon ang human rights. Sila ten doon,&quot; Padilla said.</p><p>The minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) across Europe typically ranges from 14 to 15 years old, with England and Wales at 10. Scotland has the youngest age of criminal responsibility in Europe at 8 years old, according to a 2016 report of The House of Commons Library, the resource portal of the UK Parliament.</p><div><a href="http://Padilla wants age of criminal responsibility down to 10 years old after Tacloban school shooting">PNP in favor of lowering age of criminal liability to 12</a></div><p>PAHRA argued that lowering the MACR &quot;would do little to prevent similar tragedies if lawmakers continue to ignore the systemic issues that place children at risk.&quot;</p><p>&quot;If there were missed warning signs, why aren&#x27;t we talking about strengthening schools, mental health services, and child protection systems? The answer to a broken system is not to criminalize children earlier... Children need accountability, but accountability should lead to restoration—not lifelong criminalization. If we truly want safer communities, we must invest in preventing violence, not simply lowering the age at which we punish it,&quot; the group said.</p><p>Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said that lowering the age of criminal liability is not the answer to juvenile crimes.</p><p>&quot;There are ways within current laws and rules to render justice for the victims... Current laws already provide avenues for accountability. A child involved in a serious crime does not simply walk away without consequences,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/06/04/19/unicef-renews-call-against-lowering-minimum-age-of-criminal-responsibility">UNICEF renews call against lowering minimum age of criminal responsibility</a></div><p>The UNICEF in 2019 noted that &quot;scientific studies show that brain function reaches maturity only at around 16 years old, affecting children’s reasoning and impulse control.&quot;</p><p>In 2022, it recommended increasing the MACR &quot;to at least 14 years and preferably to as close to 18 years as possible&quot; globally.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, PLATFORMS </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Malacañang has said that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is open to banning “violent” online games in the country, following discourse that online content allegedly influenced the behavior of teenage shooters in Tacloban.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2026/6/23/marcos-open-to-banning-violent-online-games-1724">Marcos open to banning &#x27;violent&#x27; online games – Palace</a></div><p>Several countries have banned minors from accessing social media and other online apps, including Australia, United Kingdom, and Indonesia.</p><p>According to several lawmakers, it&#x27;s time for the Philippines to follow suit. </p><p>&quot;This tragedy should push us to confront a hard truth: matindi na ang influence ng social media sa mga bata. Whether a child is bullied or not, violent content, online threats, dangerous trends and hateful behavior can plant ideas in young minds and give them the confidence to act on things they should never even consider,&quot; Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said.</p><p>&quot;That is why I support a serious discussion on banning or strictly limiting social media access for young children,&quot; he added.</p><p>Chua, the Manila representative, said online games should also be covered by stricter regulation.</p><p>&quot;I see the need to impose strict limits on online games and social media targeting the young. The approach can be similar to how our laws ban smoking and how other countries have banned social media for children and teenagers,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2025/12/8/-we-were-born-with-it-teens-worldwide-react-to-australia-social-media-ban-1419">&#x27;We were born with it&#x27;: Teens worldwide react to Australia social media ban</a></div><p>Senior Citizens party-list Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes has also called on the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to hold social media platforms accountable.</p><p>The lawmakers accused the platforms of &quot;not red-flagging and reporting to cybercrime authorities and the police the alarming and disturbing acts... of the two suspects in the deadly school shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We want the electronic, digital, and visual evidence properly preserved and intact because those are needed for prosecution and trial,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT SHOULD BE DONE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Instead of punitive policies, the government should instead devote its resources in organizing community-based activities that promote wellbeing, several groups said.</p><p>&quot;To address the restlessness of young people, there must be many more sports activities and wellness programs for the young. The usual liga events are not enough. Restless young people are instead turning to gangs and irresponsible fraternities,&quot; Chua said.</p><p>Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Sarah Elago said recommended a similar government action.</p><p>&quot;Sa halip na ibaba ang edad ng criminal responsibility, dapat tutukan ng gobyerno ang kakulangan sa mental health services, guidance counselors, social workers, support mechanisms sa mga paaralan, at children and youth development facilities tulad ng mga community libraries,&quot; she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/focus/01/25/19/hontiveros-lowering-age-of-criminal-liability-immoral-unnecessary-ineffective">Hontiveros: Lowering age of criminal liability &#x27;immoral, unnecessary, ineffective&#x27;</a></div><p>The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reminded the public that children &quot;remain among the most vulnerable sectors of society because of their ongoing development and dependence on adults for care, protection, and support.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The CHR reminds all sectors that accountability, child protection, and the pursuit of justice are not mutually exclusive... Only through a rights-based and child-sensitive approach can we honor the victims, support those affected, and help prevent similar tragedies from happening again.&quot;</p><p>On Wednesday, the Police Regional Office 8 confirmed it has filed criminal complaints against the 15-year-old student accused in the shooting at San Jose National High School, while the 14-year-old suspect is exempt from criminal liability and will be turned over to the Social Welfare department for intervention.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><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/Z8PoC_12UMU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><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/A_bBWjA5Llk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/TylD7HIIw9k?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/MCFPahn5Fy4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A human rights group argued that lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility "would do little to prevent similar tragedies if lawmakers continue to ignore the systemic issues that place children at risk."</p>

A human rights group argued that lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility "would do little to prevent similar tragedies if lawmakers continue to ignore the systemic issues that place children at risk."

Lower age of criminal responsibility? Groups, lawmakers urge caution vs 'exploiting' tragedies

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Lower age of criminal responsibility? Groups, lawmakers urge caution vs 'exploiting' tragedies

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 24, 2026 02:54 PM PHT

Read More:

Tacloban school shooting

violence

children

crime

accountability

policy

law

parenting

minimum age of criminal responsibility

MACR

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