Most Filipinos want to retain the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old, the latest Social Weather Stations’ survey showed Tuesday.
READ: Criminal age bill up for final reading
SWS president Mahar Mangahas noted that respondents were asked their opinion on jailing children depending on specific crimes, including committing rape, murder, acting as drug couriers, snatching cellphones, and stealing food.
In its survey, the SWS said 63 percent of respondents agreed that minors should be jailed for rape, while 22 percent disagreed and 3 percent were undecided.
Fifty-nine percent of the respondents also said minors should be put in jail for committing murder, with 24 percent opposing the idea and 4 percent expressing ambivalence on the matter.
Meanwhile, 49 percent agreed that minors who are involved in illegal drugs trade or act as drug couriers should be jailed, while 35 percent opposed the idea and 4 percent were undecided.
On the other hand, a majority of the respondents at 62 percent disagreed that minors should be jailed for snatching a cell phone, 28 percent disagreed, and 6 percent were undecided.
The opposition to jailing minors for stealing food was high at 84 percent. Only 8 percent approved of the idea and 6 percent were ambivalent.
The survey, which was commissioned by the European Union and the Spanish government, was presented to the Commission on Human Rights.
Conducted in Metro Manila in July and in the regions in December 2018, the survey was taken before the developments on the proposed bill lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Congress.
CHR Commissioners Gwen Pimentel Gana and Karen Gomez Dumpit said the latest figures support their strong opposition to the lowering of the minimum age of criminality currently pegged at 15 years old.
“We have faith in our legislators in the sense that they should listen to the voice of the people,” Gana said.
“This is about second chances and we owe our children the best that we can give,” Dumpit shared.
The Palace on Tuesday said the proposed law is directed against criminal syndicates and neglectful parents and was protective of children in conflict with the law.
READ: House bill punishes parents for their children’s offenses
“That’s precisely why there has to be rehabilitation and a committee that will oversee and take care of them. They will not be put in prison,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
The Palace official then called on those who oppose measures to lower the MACR to understand the purpose of the current law and read the provisions of the proposed bill before criticizing it.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines weighed in and appealed to Congress to consider the “greater harm” posed by lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility, as this is a benchmark of a “civilized society.”
“There is no way we can call ourselves a civilized society if we hold children in conflict with the law criminally liable,” said the CBCP in a pastoral statement after their 118th plenary assembly over the weekend.
The CBCP issued this statement Monday, the same day that the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 8858 seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old.
“Children who get involved in crimes, such as those who are used as runners by adult drug pushers, do not deserve to be treated as criminals; they are victims that need to be rescued. It is obvious that most children in conflict with the law come from very poor families and were born and raised in an environment of abuse,” the bishops said.
“We beg our country’s legislators to give the bills they are drafting some serious rethinking and consider the greater harm that such a move can cause on the young people of our country,” they added.
On the other hand, the bishops commended “initiatives to improve the Bahay Pag-asa shelters for the care of children in conflict with the law.”
READ: Duterte: No jail for children, yes for parents