Palace: Congress has say in amending juvenile justice law

Malacañang said calls to amend the country’s juvenile justice law ought to be addressed to Congress, but administration Senator Francis Pangilinan said “fundamental lack of implementation" is what ails government’s efforts to address juvenile delinquency. The issue of children in conflict with the law rose to public consciousness over the past several days with the apprehension of several juvenile offenders tagged as “Hamog Boys". These youths roam along parts of EDSA and other major Metro Manila roads and then attack and rob vehicles whose doors and compartments are unlocked. Senator Francis Escudero, chairman of his chamber’s Justice committee urged his colleagues in Congress to consider lowering the age of criminal responsibility provided in the juvenile justice law or Republic Act (RA) 9344. Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, a former law dean, urged law enforcers and concerned citizens to get members of Congress to listen to their appeals on the proliferation of juvenile crime. “In the absence of any amendment to the law, the DSWD has been hard at work in making sure that once these minors are placed in their custody. They already have put in place a program wherein they try to rehabilitate and to inculcate, reorient ‘yung mga bata po," Lacierda said. Show proof However, Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a statement Tuesday that government must focus more on implementing RA 9344 instead of blaming the law or urging Congress to amend it. "We don't understand the argument that RA 9344 is to blame for all these crimes. Unang-una, hindi naman dapat pakawalan ang mga batang ito pag-nahuli. Kailangan pa rin nilang managot sa kanilang ginawa. Ang RA 9344 ay isang hiwalay na justice system na isinagawa para sa mga kabataang delingkwente. Maliwanag iyan," Pangilinan said Pangilinan challenged the executive branch to show proof on the effectivity or lack thereof of the Juvenile Justice Law. “Palagay ko ang dapat tutukan ng ating pamahalaan ay ang tamang pagpapatupad ng batas bago pa man magpanukala ng anupamang mga pagbabago gayong wala pa naman tayong basehan kung epektibo ba ito o hindi," Pangilinan suggested. There are three Senate bills on juvenile justice pending before Escudero's Justice committee. In the counterpart committee of the House of Representatives, there are five pending proposals to amend RA 9344. — ELR/VS, GMA News