A doctor slammed Human Rights advocate Francis Baraan IV for criticizing the efforts of the Duterte administration in cleaning Boracay Island and Manila Bay.

Baraan’s post on social media raised the eyebrows of the netizens after he said that the President is fit to become a Janitor than being the chief executive of the Philippines because of his priorities.

According to the HR advocate, Duterte only used Boracay and Manila Bay rehabilitation to cover his failures in addressing the other issues being faced by the country.

“It’s easy to clean up Boracay & Manila Bay. W/c is why Duterte made them one of his Top Priorities – to distract us from his failure to clean up the corruption in his own admin, his failure to clean up the dr*g prob in PH, & his failure as a President.” Baraan said in his tweet.

“Janitor na lang sana siya.” he added.

The tweet of Baraan didn’t receive positively by the netizens, including Dr. Keesh Potgieter who express her support on the recent project of the Duterte administration to clean one of the most important tourist spots in the Philippines.

According to Potgieter, Baraan should also think about the failures of the past administration who’s openly supported by the latter.

In her lengthy comment, the doctor listed the failures of the Aquino administration.

She also suggested that Baraan should shut his mouth until his biases against the government is still there.

You can read her whole comment below:

“Funny you brought that up now but turned a blind eye on failure to prepare and respond to only the strongest typhoon ever recorded in history as it devastated fellow Filipino an area in the Visayas, failure to rehabilitate those areas after millions and millions of donations in dollars and pounds were given out from the international community, failure to stop the influx of dr*gs in our very own government-run prisons, failure in fixing the railway system in EDSA to provide better transport for the Filipino working force, failure to remedy the “laglag bala” modus that victimized a lot of innocent people, failure in coordinating one of the biggest health investments of the department of health whose dud brought about fear in the Filipino masses to get vaccinated, consequently causing the current rise in measles cases bringing about mortality to a lot of our Filipino Children.

I’d love to hear you talk about those. Until you’ve learned to shallow your biases against this government, I think it’s best that you keep your harebrained mouth sealed. if counting failures in governance are your aim, then your biases and ignorance have afforded you at fat loss.”

The viral comment was shared by netizen Maria Bratikova, a supporter of the President.

As of writing, the comment of Potgieter received thousands of shares and cheers from the netizens who also supported the President.

Francis Baraan IV is the son of  Former Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretary Francisco Baraan III who’s allegedly involved in the proliferation of shabu in New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Several weeks ago, President Rodrigo Duterte started the project to rehabilite Manila Bay after the successful cleaning of Boracay Island.

He also announced that the government is ready to close all the establishment contributing on the pollution on the said tourist spot.

A netizen who’s joining the efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay wrote a lengthy explanation on why President Rodrigo Duterte should be given a credit in the recent success of the said project.

The rehabilitation of Manila Bay became a viral topic last month, however, several critics are not convinced that the President should be given a credit, pointing out that the past administration already made an effort to clean the said tourist spot.

In his post, netizen Noel Landero Sarifa explained why people should be thanking the President for what currently happening in Manila Bay.

He pointed out that unlike the previous efforts to clean Manila Bay, only Duterte administration allocated a big budget to end the pollution that made the tourist spot look bad for many years.

Sarifa also said that Duterte is serious in rehabilitating the tourist spot and he’s ready to close all establishments contributing to the pollution of the bay.

The said rehabilitation project also made the people unite, and many volunteers from different provinces joined the effort to clean it.

He also slammed the critics of the President who asked not to politicize the project, saying that only Duterte’s political will could clean the tourist spot.

You can read his whole post below:

“Isa nanamang pangsupalpal ang gagawin ko sa mga nagsasabing matagal ng may clean up drive sa Manila Bay kaya wag i-hype ang nangyaring clean up drive ngaun, na ang Manila bay ay di lang Roxas Blvd at wag din daw i-Credit kay Pres. Duterte i-credit daw sa mga Volunteers! Pesteng Yawa mo oy! Yong mga ka-bitteran nyo sa katawan bawas-bawasan. Lawakan din ang isip, magbasa ng current events at magresearch! Lunukin nyo at tanggapin nyo na si President Duterte ang dahilan ng lahat ng pagbabago ngayon sa Manila Bay! Eto ang mga rason bakit dapat i-hype at kailangan i-credit sa presidente!

– Unang-una si Sec Cimatu na Cabinet Sec. ni Duterte ang nagsuggest na i-rehabilitate ang Manila Bay ( take note! REHABILITATE! Hindi One day Clean up drive!)

-Ang Duterte Administration lang ang nag-allocate ng 47BILLION Pesos para sa rehabilitation project that will last for 7 Years!

-Pres. Duterte threatens closure of establishments polluting Manila Bay( at may nasampulan na 15 Factories sa Bulacan, 3 Resto, Manila Zoo, etc)

– Budget for the Manila Bay rehabilitation program is approved by President Duterte.

– Kakaiba ang Clean-up drive na nangyari noong January 27,2019 kesa sa mga naunang clean-up drive, aside sa 5000 Volunteers sa Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard, Nagsagawa din ng Clean-up Drive sa Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga at Bataan! Kaya kailangan talagang i-hype kasi Historical! Ngaun lang nangyari yan!Hindi Kami Bobo para sabihing ang Manila Bay ay hindi lang sa Roxas Boulevard, malamang Manila BAY nga di ba? Tinawag ba itong Roxas Boulevard Rehabilitation? Sinong tanga?

– DENR ordered establishments around the bay to put up their own sewage treatment plants. Only now that DENR conduct thorough inspections with establishments near MANILA BAY.(Take note MANILA BAY hindi ROXAS BOULEVARD!)

– The plan for Manila Bay’s rehabilitation was initially ordered by the Supreme Court in 2008 but it was never materialized until now! So ano ginawa ng previous admin sa order na yun pinatulog ng sampung taon?

– there are 178 LGUs and 5,714 barangays inside the Manila Bay Watershed Area through DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019-09 released on January 24, 2019 were odered to “fulfill their roles and responsibilities pursuant to environmental laws that contribute to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.” and conduct weekly clean-up drives. ( Hindi Concentrated sa ROXAS Boulevard hindi sila magkakasya dun!)

– The rehabilitation has 3 Phases: cleanup and water quality improvement; rehabilitation and resettlement; and education and sustainment. Start pa lang ng Phase 1 kaya wag atat! Sa tatlong Phase na yan walang binanggit na reclamation! (Parang Boracay – Casino issue part 2???)

Kaya sa mga nagsasabing wag ipoliticized? Ngekngek nyo! Political will ni Duterte ang dahilan kaya nagawa eto, di pa ba sapat ang nangyari sa Boracay para lunukin nyo mga pride nyo? Madami pa akong hindi na mention but I guess I stated my point. Give Credits to whom it is due, yong ibang epal dyan tirahin nyo! At sana bago kayo magreklamo, mamulot din kayo ng basura sa MANILA BAY!”

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.

A lawyer who publicly supported the move of the government to lower the age of lawbreaking liability explained why he’s looking forward in this controversial plan which criticized by human rights groups.

In his post, Atty. Carlo Ybanez explained his experience about a case involving three minors who r*ped their 14-year-old classmate.

According to him, the present law making 15 years old below to be exempted in liabilities affected the rule of the case, saying that the three suspects didn’t get punished for what they did because they’re 14 years old.

He also witnessed how the lawyers of the victim told their client that they cannot do anything to punish the suspects because they’re protected by the law.

Ybanez also saw the suspects being joyful after they escaped the liabilities and they even seem mocking the victim.

During that time, he realized that the current law didn’t help the minors to change, because they didn’t feel any regrets for what they’re doing as long as they’re not getting punished.

You can read his whole post below:

“One of the reasons I am totally for the lowering of the age of criminal liability is becuase I’ve seen the flaws of the old law in my legal practice. I’ve handled a lot of cases where kids over 9 and below 15 have escaped liability. Pero, there is one case that we handled that’s above it all.

I didn’t want to narrate this case because I feared that I may be violating lawyer-client priviledge. And I might get a violent reaction from the parents. Pero, I will not name names and I will be as vague as possible.

“Eto po ang kwento. Totoong kaso na hinawakan ko.

Matagal na itong kasong ito. Bagong bago pa lang ang batas na nagtataas ng criminal liability age to 15. So, nung nangyari ito. Totally exempt na from criminal liability ang below 15 years old.

Rape case ito. At hindi lang r*pe. Gang r*pe. Tatlong batang lalaki (14 years old), nirape ang classmate nila (14 years old din).

Sa madaling salita. Abswelto sa kriminal liability ang mga batang lalaki.

Isipin ninyo ano ang nararamdaman nuong batang babae. Gano kahirap kaya bago niya naikwento sa magulang niya ang dinanas niya? Iniisip niya na matutulungan siya ng magulang niya at ng batas.

Pero noong pumunta ang mga magulang sa mga abugado, ano ang sanabi sa kanila ng abugado, “sorry po. Wala kaming magagawa”.

Bilang magulang. Ano ang sasabihin mo sa anak mo kung nangyari ito. “Sorry anak, wala tayong magagawa”.

Tapos titingin siya sa kabila, makikita niya yung tatlong batang lalaki na nakangiti at iniisip na, “ni-rape ka namin at wala kang magagawa”.

Ano na kaya ang naramdaman ng batang na-rape at walang makuhang hustisya?

Tignan natin ang side ng mga batang lalaki. Dahil hindi sila criminally liable, tingin nyo ba pinagsisisihan nila ginawa nila? Tingin niyo ba magbabago sila?

Or hindi kaya, lumala pa ang pagka kriminal nila at madala nila ito hanggat katandaan?

Nasan na kaya sila ngayon?

Actual na kaso ito. Isang patunay na hindi lahat ng bata inosente. Ang sinsasabi ko ay simple. Protektahan natin ang mga batang inosente. Pero biyan ng criminal liability ang mga batang kriminal.”

Source:

Amid the concern of some netizens on the proposal of the Congress to lower the age of lawbreaking liabilities, a lawyer tried to convince the people not to worry about the bill.

In a lengthy post, Atty. Carlo Ybanez brilliantly explained the bill to the netizens on Facebook, giving them a summary on the said proposed move.

According to him, Congress only wanted to bring back the law that was implemented from 1930-2013.

However, the old law that wanted to be brought back by the Congress didn’t instantly put the children who committed illegal acts in detention, saying that there’s still a process for the authorities to find out if the minor knows what he’s doing.

According to him, the lawbreaking minor would be put in an institution to be rehabilitated instead of being brought to prison.

If the minor escaped from the institution, he or she would be brought back to the court and be put in detention.

However, Ybanez said that the people should still not worry because the minor lawbreaker would be separated from the adults.

You can read his whole post below:

“I do not understand what the clamor is about lowering the age of cr*minal liability. May mga poster pang “bata hindi cr*minal”.

First of all, nabasa nyo na ba ang proposed bill?

Alam nyo ba, na since the revised penal code was enacted in 1930 up to 2013 (more than 80 years), ang excemption from cr*minal liability talaga is up to 9. If over 9-15 ka, pwede kang masintensyahan as a criminal. Gusto lang nila ibalik ito.

But does this mean, na from 1930-2013, itinatapon lang ang mga bata sa kulungan with all the seasoned cr*minals? HINDI!!! May mga safeguards yan.

Unang una, kailangan ng findings of discernment. Ibig sabihin, kailangan mapatunayan na yung bata, alam niya na cr*men ang ginagawa niya. Kung musmos pa talaga ang pagiisip niya, hindi siya pwedeng mabigyan ng cr*minal sentence.

Sino ang magsasabing may discernment? Hindi pulis, hindi korte, hindi abugado. Mga ispesyalista ng DSWD. Papagaralan nila ang bata based sa kanilang proseso. Pwedeng interviewhin. Pwedeng iconduct ang psychological test. Only then, sasabihin nila kung may tinatawag na cr*minal mind ang bata.

Kung may discernment talaga, pano na yan? Itatapon na ba siya kasama ng ibang kriminal? HINDI PA DIN.

Ang bata, kahit alam niya talaga na krimen ang ginawa niya, ay hindi agad agad makukulong. Merong tinatawag na suspension of sentence. Ibig sabihin, wait muna ang kulong. Ibibigay muna siya sa care ng DSWD at ipapasok siya sa isang institution at may programa sila upang marehabilitate ang bata. Sa programang ito, nakatira ang bata sa isang school or orphanage or isang building kasama ang ibang “children in conlfict with the law”. Dito tuturuan silang maging mabait na citizen at hindi lumaking kriminal. May programa ito at may rules. Pag tinapos nila ang programa at sumunod sa rules, makakalaya sila ng hindi makakatikim ng isang araw man lang sa kulungan.

Ngayon, pag itong bata, may discernment, hindi tinapos ang programa, tumakas or nagviolate ng mga rules. Ibabalik siya sa korte. Wala nang magagwa ang batas. Binigyan na siya ng lahat ng pagkakataong magbago. Ibig sabihin, hindi na talaga batang isip ito,
Kriminal na talaga siya.
Kailangan na siyang patawan ng sintensiya. In other words ikukulong na siya.

Pero ikukulong ba siya kasama ng ibang mga kriminal? HINDI PA DIN!!! Sa kulungan, hinihiwalay ang mga babae at lalake. Hinihiwalay din ang mga bata.
In fact, as much as possible, ang mga bata ilalagay sa agricultural na kulungan. May mga ganyan tayo. Ang alam ko is yung Iwahig sa Palawan. Meron pang iba. Eto ung isang malaking farm ang kulungan na pwedeng lumakad lakad ang mga bata. Para lang silang nasa probinsya.

Ganyan ang batas from 1930 to 2013. Madaming safeguards. Nung 2013 lang namam tinaasan ang cr*minal age from 9 ginawang 15 ng isang magaling na senador (alamin nyo kung sino). 5 years pa lang and kitang kita na that it does not work. Kaya nga ibabalik lang sa dati. Kasi, yung dati worked for almost 90 years. yun lang naman ang babaguhin. Hindi naman tatanggalin ang mga safeguards ng batas.

Isa ako noon na super against nung tinaasan ang cr*minal age. 15 years old? Totally exempt from cr*minal liability? Isipin nyo nga nasan kayo nung 15 kayo. 2nd year high school yan. Alam nyo na ang tama’t mali niyan. Alam nyo na pag nagmakaw kayo, makululong kayo. Alam nyo na mali ang drugs. Alam nyo na bawal manakit ng ibang tao. Di na tayo bata nyan. Kung alam nyo lang ginagawa ko nung 15 ako, OMG!!!

All Im saying is, relax. Its not as people make it appear to be. Hindi tayo makakarating sa sitwasyon na itatapon natin ang isang bata sa isang kulungan along with all the seasoned cr*minals.

Relax.”

Several days ago, members of the opposition slammed the Congress for pushing the said bill saying that it would only put the youth to danger.

They even organized a rally to opposed the bill together with some children.

Source:

Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III slammed the critics of the recent action of the Congress to lower the age of Filipinos required to be liable in the bad acts they committed.

From 15 years old, the Congress pushed to lower the age of lawbreaking liability to 9 years old which opposed by the critics of the government.

According to Sotto, the critics of the recent plan of the government should also ask the families of the people who got victimized by teenage lawbreakers.

He also pointed out that even since during former President Manuel Quezon’s time, the age of lawbreaking responsibility was nine years old.

However, Sotto’s proposal is different from the Congress and only pushing to lower it to 12 years old.

“Panahon pa ni Quezon, 9 yrs old na criminal responsibility WHEN ACTING WITH DISCERNMENT. 12 yrs yun bill ko like most countries worldwide. Pag may nang r*pe o pum*tay na 13 yrs old ok lang? Tell that to the parents of d victims.” Sotto said in his tweet.

Panahon pa ni Quezon, 9 yrs old na criminal responsibility WHEN ACTING WITH DISCERNMENT. 12 yrs yun bill ko like most countries worlwide. Pag may nang rape o pumatay na 13 yrs old ok lang? Tell that to the parents of d victims. @blcb

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 22, 2019

Sotto also posted some statistics to explain why the government should lower the age of lawbreaking responsibility.

“Minors used as couriers are the least of d problems. It’s the 887 R*pe and M*rder committed by minors in 2017 that those against lowering of age should address. Ano, ganun lang? Many are missing the point.” he said.

Minors used as drug couriers are the least of d problems. Its the 887 Rape and Murder committed by minors in 2017 that those against lowering of age should address. Ano, ganun lang? Many are missing d point. @blcb

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 22, 2019

He corrected the stats he posted, saying that the 887 cases he mentioned were not included the m*rder cases.

Correction, 887 crimes of minors for 2017 alone are only for rape! @blcb

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 22, 2019

Meanwhile, the Palace said that there’s no problem in both proposals of Congress and Sotto, saying that President Rodrigo Duterte just wanted to reverse the Pangilinan law which according to the chief executive, made the youth worse.

“All he has been saying since the campaign is he wants that lowered. And we will leave that to the lawmakers,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.