Solon wants stiffer penalties for crimes vs senior citizens

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. has filed a bill directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review crimes committed against senior citizens and recommend the imposition of stiffer penalties on persons convicted of such crimes. Senate Bill 2540 says that as part of the review, the DOJ will conduct consultations with individuals or groups representing senior citizens, law enforcement agencies, victims’ groups, and the judiciary. "The purpose of this Act is to develop strategies for preventing and punishing crimes that target or otherwise disproportionately affect senior citizens," said Revilla. Older victims of violent crimes are almost twice as likely as younger victims to be raped, robbed or assaulted at or in their own homes, the senator claimed in the bill's explanatory note. SB 2540 says that the DOJ review will include an analysis of the nature and type of crimes perpetrated against seniors, with special focus on the most common crimes affecting seniors, the nature and extent of abuse inflicted upon seniors, and the nature and extent of health care fraud and abuse targeting seniors. The review will also look at the: