The Civil Society Coalition on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Coalition Philippines) calls for the urgent action to stop the lowering of the MACR from 15 years old to 9 years old.
Lowering the MACR will not lower the crime rates.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 98% of the crimes between 2002 to 2015 are committed by adults and only 2% involve children. Data also shows that 92% of the crimes committed by children are “non-serious” while 8% are serious crimes that fall under Section 20-A of Republic Act 10630.[1] Children who fall into these situations are the ones that need our help most and there are many ways to help them access opportunities to improve their situation and have a better future.
Children are victims of syndicates, and are not criminals.
Adults exploit and use children in illegal activities. By criminalizing children, we are putting resources to the wrong response. We urge the government to look into the circumstances leading to children being in conflict with the law and undertake efforts to assist parents and caregivers in carrying out their parental responsibilities as enshrined in Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC).
CRC COALITION PHILIPPINES CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO IMMEDIATELY ACT ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD TO:
“Take all necessary measures to ensure that the age of criminal responsibility is not lowered.”
“Expand the use of alternative measures to deprivation of liberty, such as diversion, probation and counseling and community services.”
“Continue to undertake training programs on relevant international standards and widely disseminate the provisions of the JJWA to the general public and in particular to all professionals working with the juvenile justice system, including police officers, so as to enhance understanding, awareness and knowledge of the JJWA.”
We encourage the civil society to block all moves lowering the MACR to any age. It is our responsibility to build an enabling environment necessary for children to grow up to be responsible citizens.
For more information, please contact:
Magnolia Eva Escobedo, Secretariat Coordinator
Pauline Giselle Navarro, Advocacy and Communications Officer
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[1] De Vera-Ruiz, E. (2018, October 3). Lowering criminal age never resulted in lower crime rates, says DSWD Usec. Manila Bulletin, Retrieved from https://news.mb.com.ph