Sen. Francis Escudero. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The congressional bicameral conference committee has approved in principle a measure that will allow “involuntary commitment” at a government facility of juvenile offenders who have repeatedly committed serious crimes.
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, head of the Senate panel, announced that the members of the bicameral committee agreed on the proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Law and are now ready to submit it for ratification by the Senate and the House of Representatives when they resume sessions on June 5, 2013.
“Buo ang pag-asa ko na mara-ratify iyon at kumpiyansa ako na mara-ratify sa special session na gaganapin sa June 5 ( I have full confidence that it will be ratified during the special session on June 5),” Escudero told reporters after a hearing of the committee held at his office on Tuesday.
Under the proposed amendments, Escudero said children (below 15 but above 12 years old) in conflict with the law (CIC) will be subjected to “intensified intervention program” and “involuntary commitment.”
Repeated offenders, he said, will be subjected to “involuntary commitment” at a government facility, which will be set up by local government units in different parts of the country.
He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or the parents themselves may file a petition in court to put the repeated offenders under the government facility dubbed as “Bahay Pag-asa.”
The DWSD, and not the Department of Justice, will be the lead agency that would implement the proposed measure, the senator pointed out.
“Nilagay din naming sa batas na iyong mga gumagamit ng mga bata sa pagsulong ng ibat ibang krimen o paggawa ng ibat ibang krimen, paparusahan sila in the maximum level noong krimen na pinagawa nila sa mga batang ginamit din nila (We also included in the bill that those who use children to commit various crimes would get maximum level punishment),” said Escudero.
The parents of the CIC, he said, are likewise ‘civilly” liable under the existing law.
Escudero said one contentious issue on the bill was the original version of the House of Representatives , lowering the age of criminal responsibility to below 12 years old.
“Gusto nila exempt na lang ang 12 years old. Ang problema, 15 na tayo nagsimula. International standards 15 din. Hindi siguro tama na bumaba tayo sa 12 matapos nating ipataw ng 15 o i-set ng 15 iyong age of absolute criminal responsibility (They want 12 years old children to be exempted. The problem is we started at 15, which is also the international standard. Maybe it’s not right that we lower it to 12 after setting 15 as age of absolute criminal responsibility),” he said.
In the end, Escudero said the success of the improved law would still depend on its implementation as he noted local governments’ alleged failure to build more rehabilitation facilities for child offenders.