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Tutol ang mga opisyal ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines sa panukalang ibaba sa siyam na taong gulang ang criminal liability mula sa dating 15 taong gulang.
Ayon kay Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman ng CBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Laity, hindi kriminal kundi pawang mga biktima lamang ng pagkakataon ang mga bata na hindi dapat ituring na kriminal.
“This should be stopped. How can a law criminalizing children reduce criminality? The government should instead be effective in getting people who abuse and use children. The children are the victims here and not the criminals!,” ayon sa pahayag ng Obispo.
Ang panukala ay una ng pumasa sa Mababang Kapulungan at nakatakda na ring dinggin sa Senado.
Nanawagan ang Obispo na sa halip ay mas dapat na bigyang tuon ng pamahalaan ang mga umaabuso sa kabataan at ang sindikato na gumagamit sa mga ito sa masamang gawain.
Unang nagpahayag ng pagtutol si CBCP-Vice President, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David sa pagpaparusa sa mga batang may edad 9-na taon.
“We cannot even properly hold adults liable for their criminal offenses, now we want to hold nine-year-old children-in-conflict-with-the-law criminally liable as well? For what? For being born in an environment of abuse? For being neglected or abused by abusive parents and being left to fend for themselves out in the streets? For being used by abusive adults in criminal activities? If this bill, which is being finalized by the Justice Committee, will be passed into a law before the end of the 17th Congress as they promise it would, then this Congress should be remembered in Philippine history as the most naive, heartless, and unchristian Congress we have ever had,” ayon sa pahayag ni Bishop David.
Sa tala ng Department of Social Welfare and Development 65 porsyento sa mga kabataang lumalabag sa batas ay mula sa mahihirap na sektor at mga pamilyang walang sapat na pinagkakakikitaan.
