PHILIPPINES — The Break the Silence (BTS) National Network declares its strong disapproval and opposition to House Bill No. 002, which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act (JJWA) of 2006, as Amended by Republic Act No. 10630, lowering the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) from 15 years old to 9 nine years old.
According to BTS, the problem of children committing crimes, and criminality in general, will not be solved by putting them in jails. Moreover, the standards for criminal responsibility of adult should not be the same for children as children’s brain underdevelopment and socio-emotional changes influence their decision-making and susceptibility to perform risky activities. Third, the BTS network emphasizes that the best interest for children should be promoted and strengthened both for the children’s and the public’s welfare.
BTS calls for a careful study of the amendment of the RA 9344. Any changes must be consistent with the Philippine’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC), the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules) and the UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines).
The BTS Network is a movement of active and dynamic child-rights based organizations and advocates trained and committed to protection of children from child sexual abuse and exploitation in the Philippines. It consists of more than 40 member organizations nationwide.
Get a .pdf copy of the BTS network position paper here.
