Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Thursday, June 25 slammed the disinformation being peddled about the Juvenile Justice Act, saying the lies being circulated about the law do not make Filipino families safer. 

Pangilinan, primary author of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act No. 9344 and which was approved in 2005, strongly rejected the information circulating that minors tagged in crimes are not criminally liable. 

“As a father, I reiterate my condemnation of the school shooting in Tacloban. I also condemn the disinformation being spread about the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and myself,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

“These lies do not make Filipino families safer. They only confuse people, distract us from real solutions, and turn our pain, especially of those who have lost their loved ones and those who were injured, into a political weapon,” he said. 

Pangilinan said every lie being spread that “the law lets child killers go free,” the people’s anger is misdirected away from the real problems: guns in the wrong hands, weak enforcement, and lack of support for the country’s schools and communities.

“This disinformation campaign hurts ordinary families, especially those who have lost their loved ones and those who were injured. It makes parents more afraid but less informed,” the senator said.

“It stigmatizes our children, especially those who are poor and vulnerable, by painting them as criminals beyond hope,” he pointed out.

He also said such lies undermines the hard work of teachers, social workers, police, and courts who are trying to apply the law properly and protect both victims and children in conflict with the law (CICL). 

Worst of all, Pangilinan said the disinformation about the Juvenile Justice Law erodes people’s trust in facts and institutions, making it easier for any politician to escape accountability by hiding behind lies.

“As ordinary citizens, we cannot be silent. We must refuse to share unverified posts, angry memes, and edited videos that twist the truth. We must take a few extra seconds to read from credible sources before we react,” he said.

“When disinformation appears in our family group chats, parish Viber groups, or Facebook timelines, we must calmly correct it, not to shame our neighbors but to protect them from manipulation,” he added.

Pangilinan said Filipinos ought to stand with victims and with truth at the same time: demanding justice for crimes, while defending laws and reforms that are based on evidence and on the dignity of every child. 

“As a father, I ask my fellow parents: Let us be guardians of our children’s safety and the truth they will grow up believing,” the lawmaker stressed.