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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Padilla renews call to lower criminal liability of minors after Tacloban school shooting

Padilla renews call to lower criminal liability of minors after Tacloban school shooting

Published Jun 22, 2026 05:32 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Robinhood Padilla is pushing for amendments to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, following a school shooting that killed three students and injured seven others.
  • In a Facebook post, Padilla cited a series of violent incidents involving minors and asked fellow senators what they were waiting for in addressing his bill.
  • Padilla's July 2025 bill seeks to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 years old and amend Republic Act No. 9344 by removing exemptions from criminal liability for minors aged 10 to 17 who commit heinous crimes.
Senator Robinhood Padilla renewed his call for the tackling of his proposed measure seeking to amend the country’s juvenile justice law, following a fatal school shooting in Tacloban that left three students dead and seven others wounded.
Senator Robin Padilla (Facebook page photo)
Senator Robin Padilla (Facebook page photo)
In a Facebook post, Padilla asked whether there is still a chance for a special session to address what he described as urgent issues involving minors in conflict with the law, citing a series of recent violent incidents.
“May pag-asa kaya na ma-special session ang kalagayan ng aking panukala para amendahan ang Juvenile Justice Act? Sunod-sunod na po ito: may hold-up, may rape, ngayon, pamamaril sa paaralan…Ano po ba hinihintay ng mga kasama nating mga senador? (Is there a chance that there will be a special session for my bill to amend the Juvenile Justice Act? There have been consecutive instances of hold-up, rape, shooting in schools...What are our fellow senators waiting for?)” he said.
He thanked fellow lawmakers for the passage of the Waling Waling bill, noting that he co-authored it, and expressed hope that his juvenile justice proposal would receive similar urgency.
The appeal comes after the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in San Jose, where three students were killed and seven others were injured during an attack at around 9:00 a.m. on Monday, June 22.
Padilla had previously filed a bill in July 2025 seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 years old by amending Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The proposal also seeks to remove the exemption from criminal liability for offenders aged 10 to 17 who commit heinous crimes.
Under the existing law, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Philippines is 15 years old.
In a chance interview, Padilla appealed to his fellow senators to give time for his bill.
"Dapat gawin na natin gawin yan, ngayon na (That's something that we should do, right now)," he said.
He said that a lot of countries have adopted a lower age of criminal liability for minors, which he believes is something that the Philippines should do as well.

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Robin Padilla Juvenile Justice Act school shooting
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