Palace: Gray may be misinformed on age of criminal liability issue

MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray might have been “misinformed” about the bill lowering the age of criminal liability from 15 to 12 years old when she aired her opposition to the measure, Malacañang said Thursday.

“She should be educated. Ibig sabihin ng educated, she may have been misinformed of the facts given that the opposition to the lowering [of the minimum age of criminal responsibility] comes from ‘yung mga dating kritiko ng administrasyon,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

On Wednesday, the beauty queen said the government should rather “focus on why these children are committing those crimes.”

Gray noted children may be pushed to committing crimes because of “their circumstances or their environment.”

“And it really is probably a consequence of their circumstance or their environment or external pressure. So [as] a nation, I feel like we should focus on eradicating those external pressures,” she said.

READ: Catriona Gray: Focus on why children commit crimes

Panelo reiterated that under the bill, minors in conflict with the law will not be jailed but will be sent to a Bahay Pag-asa for rehabilitation.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is comfortable with 12 years old as the new minimum age of criminal liability. /jpv

READ: Duterte ‘comfortable’ with 12 as minimum age of criminal liability