Juvenile Justice Act, it sounds good, but the question is, do you know what that is?

Its not a new release action movie or a new album of a rock band, at 200 sen! kiko "angilinan "assed a bill aiming to "rotect child offenders# youth involve in crimes, this is the $!A %&'' or the Juvenile Justice and (elfare act! Its "rimary "rovisions are to clean the names of the child offenders and bring them to )uvenile centers! According to the *enator, this will serve as a "rotection to the youth who committed crimes they dont really understand! +ut the action continues, during 20,,, theres a "etition in the senate that they should amend the bill and make the age of criminal res"onsibility at ,, because most of the child offenders nowadays are too wise and they are using this law to "rotect them from being )ailed! -uring .ay at that year, there are some children at /-*A 0uadalu"e who are s"otted o"ening a ta1i, aside from stealing2 they are also harassing the driver! A few weeks after that, there are a series of cases re"orted on 34 about youths who are involve in ra"e, theft and murder! 3hen, whats the connection of )uvenile )ustice law to those activities? According to the critics of it, theres a big connection between those cases and the )uvenile law, they said that the bill )ust s"oil those children and they claim that todays children mature more quickly than "revious generations due to their e1"osure to the internet and social "latforms! +ase on the re"ort of 565 on year 20,,, youth crime related incidents increase after enforcing this law, from ,%77 cases on the year of a""roving )uvenile )ustice law, it hy"e to '2' in 20,0! Aside from that, there are some child offenders who are carrying their birth certificate so that when they are caught, "olice would have nothing to do but )ust set them free, wow! .ost of the minors involved in robberies have been below ,7 and are well aware that even if they are caught by "olice they will sim"ly be remanded to the custody of social workers who will eventually release and send them home without charges! .any of the children caught, re"orts show, are re"eat offenders! In one well8"ublici9ed case, a minor esca"ed severe "unishment des"ite robbing, ra"ing and almost killing a young mother! Authorities claim that some teenagers are also use by big syndicates for robbery and drug trafficking because they know that these teens are e1em"ted from criminal liabilities! 3he syndicates are known to "rovide training to the children, both in how to commit crimes and how to deal with authorities if they are arrested! In 200:, according to 565, from 200 , youth crimes cling u" to ,: "ercent at 200;! 3heres a re"ort in <ebu about a boy, when he was ,2 years old, he ra"ed a si1 year old girl, after one year "rior to that incident, he then was involved to a murder case, and now hes ,% years old, he was caught under an o"eration against drug trafficking! According to the re"ort of =6I</>, & "ercent of the de"loyed fighters of 65A are minors! It a""ears in the re"orts that every year, )uvenile delinquency increases! .aybe because of the intensifying and uncontrollable )uvenile delinquency in our country, the senate takes some action2 they ratified the )uvenile )ustice law on 20,&! =nder the amendments? 3he age of criminal liability for minors would remain at ,7! @owever, in light of a *u"reme <ourt A*<B ruling on the commitment of children, the minimum

age of minors that should be committed to a youth care facility or +ahay 5ag8asa is now ,2! *en! >rancis 5angilinan, the "rinci"al author and s"onsor of the bill, said any child aged ,2 to ,7 who committed a heinous crime "unishable by more than ,2 years im"risonment should be deemed a neglected child under the <hild and Couth (elfare <ode! <onsidered heinous crimes are murder, infanticide, kidna""ing and serious illegal detention, ra"e, destructive arson and crimes "unishable under the <om"rehensive -angerous -rugs Act of 2002! As a neglected child, the minor should be "laced under a s"ecial facility within the youth care facility called the Intensive Juvenile Intervention and *u""ort <entre AJI*<B! 3he social welfare officer of the local government unit where the crime was committed or the social worker of the -e"artment of *ocial (elfare and -evelo"ment A-*(-B is required to file a "etition before the court for the involuntary confinement of the minor in the JI*<! <hildren under ,7 years who commit crimes considered not heinous, would be sub)ected to a community8based intervention "rogram with the su"ervision of the local social welfare and develo"ment officer! DIf the child has been found by the local social welfare and develo"ment officer to be de"endent, neglected, abandoned or abused by his or her "arents, and the best interest of the child requires, he or she should be "laced in a youth care facility or +ahay 5agasa,E 5angilinan said! And like every issue in the 5hili""ines, even though the amendments were finish, there are some not favour and com"laining because of ratifying the law! According to the antis, the amendment is unnecessary and it wont solve the "roblem! <ongresswoman Jayne Fo"e9 thinks a better solution to rising youth crime would be to im"lement stiffer "enalties for "arents or guardians of delinquent kids! In a bill she has "ro"osed to congress, "arents could be held liable for failing to "rovide "ro"er education to their minor children and allowing them to loiter, "lay or wander unsu"ervised in "ublic areas! 3ricia Gco, e1ecutive director of the )uvenile )ustice and welfare council, believes that the only long8term solution is to reduce the countryHs endemic high "overty rate, where currently around one8third of the "o"ulation canHt afford even basic commodities and services! *he has "ro"osed greater subsidies for housing, health care, education and other social services that would give the state a greater role in "roviding for the countryHs "oor youth! 3he "olitical momentum, however, is behind criminali9ing youthful indiscretions and adding more "ressure on the countryHs already dysfunctional criminal )ustice system! 6ow, the question is do you care about this? I think you should, unless youre )ust a "lant whose main goal in life was )ust the "hotosynthesis! 3his has a big im"lication on you! >or e1am"le, what if you have a brother, friend or relative or you are a mother of a twelve year old who

committed a crime, can you bear to see him in a same cell where wicked criminals stay? +ut what if youre the victim of a ,' year old thief, would you allow that the equivalent of it was )ust a birth certificate? 3here are so many ideas, theres a lot of o"inion! Cou, whats your stand about this? Are you in favour or against?