The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is alarmed with the trajectory of the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 to nine (9) years old at the House of Representatives. While still at the Committee level, the CHR expresses its strong opposition to the said measure.

We stress the government’s obligation to protect our children, in line with the commitment we accepted when we signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our Constitution is also explicit that children should be protected from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitations, and other conditions prejudicial to their development.

We urge the government to address conditions that push children to such circumstances, rather than placing the burden on a child for the failures of institutions meant to protect them. ###