PNP says nine-year-old children ‘’not too young’’ to be criminally responsible

January 23, 2019

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday said nine years old is "not too young" to be criminally responsible.

"As I said, maybe not too young because in other places they are eight years old (who violate the law)," Albayalde said in a forum in Manila.

He said based on their records children as young as five years old are being involved in crimes.

"We should look at why these children committed crime at an early age of 5 until 17 years old, especially rape cases. It showed on our data from 2016 a lot of children are being involved in rape cases, more than 1,300 while those who violate illegal drugs (are) more than 1,000 only. But the whole data that we have from 2016, we have more than 12,000, to be exact 12,139 minors involved in various crimes... In robbery, theft, physical injuries," he said.

The PNP said the government should also put more responsibility to parents.

Though some countries' minimum age of criminal responsibility is lower than the proposed bill, Albayalde said they have a good system.

"Remember in other countries, they have eight years old but then again as I said their system, they have a good system. That's why you can't see children who violate at the age of eight because their children are all educated and they know that they have system in place on how to deal with children in conflict with the law," he explained.

The House of Representatives’ justice committee wants to lower the minimum age for criminal responsibility from 15 to nine years old, but on Wednesday afternoon, the plenary on second reading, voted to make it 12 years.

A bill by Senate President Vicente Sotto III's bill seeks to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 years old. Ella Dionisio/DMS