Opposition to renewed proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility has been raised by the juvenile justice body and rights groups, which argued that harsher criminal penalties for children would not curb youth violence and would weaken child rights protections.
In separate statements, the groups urged policymakers to strengthen child protection, rehabilitation, and preventive interventions instead of lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility after renewed calls to amend the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act following the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where three students were killed and several others injured.
The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) said studies have not shown that stricter criminal penalties deter youth violence.
“If we look at the drivers of violence, lowering the age does not automatically mean children will stop committing these acts,” JJWC Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco said in an interview with PTV.
Oco said authorities should instead address factors contributing to youth violence, including family environment, bullying, poverty, and exposure to violence, including online content.
“We need to study the causes of why young people are being pushed to commit these kinds of crimes,” she said. “After identifying those causes, we should develop policies, mechanisms, and measures that can prevent or stop children from engaging in violent behavior.”
The council also cited government data showing a 77 percent decline in the number of children in conflict with the law over the past decade, from 24,683 cases in 2016 to 5,698 in 2025.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility runs contrary to international child rights standards and scientific evidence on child development.
“These proposals run contrary to international child rights standards, scientific evidence on child development, and the principles underlying our juvenile justice system,” the group said in a June 26 statement.
NUPL cited the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 24 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which urge states not to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility below 14 years old and instead move toward higher age thresholds that reflect children’s developmental needs.
The group added that Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, prioritizes intervention, diversion, and restorative justice for children in conflict with the law.
It also said the Tacloban and Cavite incidents should not be used to justify lowering the age of criminal responsibility, urging lawmakers instead to address underlying causes such as poverty, abuse, neglect, social exclusion, and unmet developmental and mental health needs.
Amnesty International Philippines likewise warned against using the Tacloban tragedy to revive proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
“This tragedy must not be exploited to revive failed and dangerous proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility or further weaken the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act,” said Ritz Lee Santos III, section director of Amnesty International Philippines.
He said children remain accountable under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act through age-appropriate measures focused on rehabilitation.
The group said exposing children to harsher punishment does not prevent crime and instead increases the likelihood of reoffending.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains open to proposals to amend the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, although his position will depend on the final version of any bill approved by Congress.
Under RA 9344, children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability, while those over 15 but below 18 may be held criminally liable if they acted with discernment. RA 10630 retained the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15.
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