By Genalyn Kabiling Senator Francis Pangilinan is unlikely to win another elective post after he authored a flawed juvenile justice law in the country, according to President Duterte. President Duterte (left); Senator Francis Pangilinan
(MANILA BULLETIN) The President has lashed out anew at the "pontifical" Pangilinan for his measure that supposedly let young criminal offenders get away with their offenses. "Ito naman si pontifical Pangilinan, akala mo walang kasalanan kung magsalita. Siya pa 'yung presidente ng Liberal (party). Tignan mo, pati siya hindi manalo ‘yan ," Duterte said during the awarding ceremony of outstanding government workers in Malacañang. "The entire Philippines for the last two decades, right after the --- itong Pangilinan law, nagkalat. Kasi alam ninyo, pagka-minor, he goes out. ‘Pag sinabi niya, 'I am just 14 years old,’ he goes out. Walang seremonya,” he added. Duterte said he did not want to "demean" his friend Pangilinan but criticized him for the law that exempts minors below 15 years old from criminal liability regardless of the gravity of the offense. He was referring to Republic Act 9344 of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. Prior to the Pangilinan law, a child aged nine or under who commit an offense were exempted from criminal liability and released to the custody of parents. "Itinaas husto ni Pangilinan. Eh pa-pretty boy-pretty boy para to keep abreast with the changing times," he said. Duterte said Pangilinan, however, did not bother to research that the United States, where he copied the law, has "reverted back to treating youthful offenders tried as adult offenders for grave and less grave offenses." "If you rape, you steal, kill, after robbing, killing, raping, you should be treated as an adult offender," he said. Duterte claimed that the Pangilinan measure also missed a key provision of the US juvenile law that requires young criminals to go to a correctional facility to undergo rehabilitation. At present, Duterte said young offenders go scot-free due to the Pangilinan law. He lamented that these minors who eventually become adults have lost "the sense of accountability." Duterte said he recently met with some senators who stated "they will try to repeal the law." Senate President Vicente Sotto III recently proposed an amendment to the law to bring down the age of criminality liability to 13 years old. Criminal syndicates were allegedly abusing the law’s provision to use minors to commit crimes. #