Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — President Rodrigo Duterte again criticized Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan’s Juvenile Justice Law, which he claimed increased crimes “tenfold.”
“Here comes Pangilinan… yung problema natin ngayon… nang-iisnatch, takbo rito, takbo dun… Do you know why they [children] are so bold to do that, daring, because sa experience nila under the Pangilinan law hindi ka makukulong,” Duterte said in his weekly COVID-19 pandemic briefing aired Tuesday night.
[Translation: Our problem now, they snatch, run here and there. Do you know why they are so bold to do that, daring, because in their experience under the Pangilinan law they will not be imprisoned.]
Authored by Pangilinan, Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from nine to 15.
The chief executive said this only encouraged the youth to commit crimes.
“Itong si Pangilnan talagang di nya ginamit yung utak nya,” the president said. “Helpless ang public, helpless ang gobyerno.”
[Translation: Pangilinan is not using his brain. The public becomes helpless, the government becomes helpless.]
Duterte then discouraged the public from voting Pangilinan, who is running for vice president, as well as another critic Senator Richard Gordon who is seeking re-election.
