PNP records show more than 12,000 minors were involved in crime
Published Jan 23, 2019 09:13 pm
By Aaron Recuenco
More than 12,000 minors were recorded to have been involved in various criminal activities since 2016, a top police official disclosed Wednesday amid heated debates on the proposal to lower the age of criminal liability to nine years old.
Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said rape cases have the most number of involvements of minors with more than 1,300 while more than 1,000 minors were also recorded to be involved in illegal drugs trade.
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN)
“The whole data that we have from 2016, we have more than 12,000. To be exact 12,139 minors who are involved in various crimes already. We have robbery, theft, physical injuries but the highest is rape with more than 1,300,” said Albayalde.
The PNP leadership has repeatedly expressed its support to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine years old, citing past cases wherein minors as young as five years old were involved in criminal activities.
While the bill was already approved in the House of Representatives, some senators have already expressed their opposition to the move. Several local and international groups, as well as various celebrities, have vocally opposed the move.
Critics of the bill argued that children of such age are victims and need attention and care instead as they do not usually know what they are doing and in most cases, are even exploited by adults in criminal acts.
But Albayalde said the age of nine is not too young if similar laws in other countries would serve as the basis.
“Sabi ko nga hindi siguro too young kasi in other places may eight years old. Sa atin at the early age of five meron. Yung age bracket na mga na-i-involve sa crimes na mga bata we have as young as five based on our records,” said Albayalde.
“We do not give the burden basically on children. Let us also look into the part on what we could do, like education which is very important. For instance, although the education is already free, we should compel these children to go to school and we compel their parents to bring their children to school also and we should put responsibility also to the parents,” he added.
While citing comparison with other countries, Albayalde, however, admitted that countries with lower age of criminal liability have a good system to mold the children to become good citizens.
“There are some countries with eight years old but then again, sabi ko nga, they have a good system kasi kaya wala kang makita na bata na nagvaviolate at the age of eight because their children are all educated at alam nila may sistema silang in place on how to deal with children in conflict with the law,” said Albayalde.
Once the bill to lower the age of criminal liability becomes a law, Albayalde said that they have no option but to implement it.
But in the meantime that the bill is still up for debate in the Senate, Albayalde said the PNP will give its own inputs like putting up facilities to properly deal with children in conflict with the law.
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN)
“The whole data that we have from 2016, we have more than 12,000. To be exact 12,139 minors who are involved in various crimes already. We have robbery, theft, physical injuries but the highest is rape with more than 1,300,” said Albayalde.
The PNP leadership has repeatedly expressed its support to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine years old, citing past cases wherein minors as young as five years old were involved in criminal activities.
While the bill was already approved in the House of Representatives, some senators have already expressed their opposition to the move. Several local and international groups, as well as various celebrities, have vocally opposed the move.
Critics of the bill argued that children of such age are victims and need attention and care instead as they do not usually know what they are doing and in most cases, are even exploited by adults in criminal acts.
But Albayalde said the age of nine is not too young if similar laws in other countries would serve as the basis.
“Sabi ko nga hindi siguro too young kasi in other places may eight years old. Sa atin at the early age of five meron. Yung age bracket na mga na-i-involve sa crimes na mga bata we have as young as five based on our records,” said Albayalde.
“We do not give the burden basically on children. Let us also look into the part on what we could do, like education which is very important. For instance, although the education is already free, we should compel these children to go to school and we compel their parents to bring their children to school also and we should put responsibility also to the parents,” he added.
While citing comparison with other countries, Albayalde, however, admitted that countries with lower age of criminal liability have a good system to mold the children to become good citizens.
“There are some countries with eight years old but then again, sabi ko nga, they have a good system kasi kaya wala kang makita na bata na nagvaviolate at the age of eight because their children are all educated at alam nila may sistema silang in place on how to deal with children in conflict with the law,” said Albayalde.
Once the bill to lower the age of criminal liability becomes a law, Albayalde said that they have no option but to implement it.
But in the meantime that the bill is still up for debate in the Senate, Albayalde said the PNP will give its own inputs like putting up facilities to properly deal with children in conflict with the law.