Mar Roxas criticized the recent moves of the Congress to lower the age of criminal liability in the Philippines, saying that the government should prioritize other things first than targeting children.
In his tweet, Roxas said that lowering the age of criminal liability would not assure to solve the problem of the country on handling minor lawbreakers.
According to him, most of the children who broke the law were used by syndicates as a pawn so they should not be labeled as ‘criminals’.
He questioned the basis of the Congress in detaining children compared to the age required for the Filipinos to work or to get married
Roxas pointed out that 9-12 years old were still not in the right mind to know what’s right or wrong.
He urged the authorities should hunt down the syndicates that using children to do illegal activities instead of making the minors responsible for the bad acts that they did.
“Ang batang nagagamit ng sindikato ay biktima, hindi kriminal. Sa lipunan natin, kailangan maging 18 years old muna para makapagtrabaho, magpakasal, uminom, bumoto.” Roxas said.
“Nakabatay ito sa paniniwala natin na ang mga menor de edad ay hinuhubog pa ang mga kilos at pagpapasya, at bukas pa sa iba’t ibang impluwensiya.” he added.
“Hindi ang mga bata ang dapat panagutin sa mga bagay na hindi nila kasalanan,”
Ang batang nagagamit ng sindikato ay biktima, hindi kriminal. Sa lipunan natin, kailangan maging 18 years old muna para makapagtrabaho, magpakasal, uminom, bumoto.
— Mar Roxas (@MARoxas) January 22, 2019
Nakabatay ito sa paniniwala natin na ang mga menor de edad ay hinuhubog pa ang mga kilos at pagpapasya, at bukas pa sa iba't ibang impluwensiya.
— Mar Roxas (@MARoxas) January 22, 2019
Hindi ang mga bata ang dapat panagutin sa mga bagay na hindi nila kasalanan.
— Mar Roxas (@MARoxas) January 22, 2019
In another tweet, Roxas also urged the government to prioritize getting rid the source of the increasing cases of illegal activities committed by minors.
He said that instead of the children, it’s better to punish the neglectful parents, syndicates and also the government which according to him, is not doing their job to help the people.
“Unahin natin ang mga nagpapabaya at nagsasamantala, mula sa mga magulang, mga sindikato, hanggang sa gobyernong nagkukulang sa tungkulin nitong pangalagaan at bigyan ng kakayahan ang kanyang mga mamamayan.” he said.
Unahin natin ang mga nagpapabaya at nagsasamantala, mula sa mga magulang, mga sindikato, hanggang sa gobyernong nagkukulang sa tungkulin nitong pangalagaan at bigyan ng kakayahan ang kanyang mga mamamayan.
— Mar Roxas (@MARoxas) January 22, 2019
The series of tweets received mix reactions among netizens.
In the proposed bill, a minor who committed a crime will not be labeled as ‘criminals’ but ‘children in conflict with the law’.
The Palace stressed that children in conflict with the law are not criminals but victims who should be supported and accorded appropriate intervention and rehabilitation.
“The proposed law will deter criminals from using children as their accomplices or in treating them as pawns in committing crimes,” the Palace said.