Time to repeal Juvenile Justice Law

BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…Train the child in the way he should go, and he will never depart from it when he grows old…” (Proverbs 22:6, the Holy Bible).

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TIME TO REPEAL JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW: Indeed, it is now time for Sen. Francis Pangilinan to repeal his Juvenile Justice Law, Republic Act 9344. The evidence is too overwhelming that this law is now being used to commit even heinous crimes, using minor children who could not be arrested because of a prohibition for such arrest in the law. The clamor against the law is just too great, as show by comments posted in various Facebook groups:

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CHILD CRIMINALS HAVE BECOME ARROGANT:  Ferrum Mann: Atty. Batas, we were victims of young criminals, akyat-bahay teens who willingly (and arrogantly) admitted to barangay tanods of scaling our fence and carting away appliances stored in the garage. 

I'm not even sure they stole those themselves, or they were just covering up for the real culprits. After an hour of lecturing from DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), they were even escorted back to their houses. On to the next victims... The Juvenile Justice Law is stupid, like its author.

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CHILD DELINQUENCY PROLIFERATING IN RP: BaronessAnne de Bretagne: Counsellor, I do understand that criminals of young age should be apprehended and meted penalty after trial and conviction, but most of the children in RP who grow into criminality have nowhere to turn to, deprived of the right to grow into ordinary normal people. Society IS, in my book, responsible for massive juvenile delinquency that seems to have proliferated at an alarming rate in the Philippines.

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CHILD CRIMINALS DESERVE PUNISHMENT: Marlene Howe: Here in the US, they can arrest underage criminals and they are sent to juvenile detention. Depending on the crimes they committed, they can sometimes be charged as an adult. 

Oftentimes, young career criminals know what they can get away with and they would even arrogantly say, I am a minor so you can't touch me! There must be a balance in how to deal with young criminals. There should also be some kind of punishment that fits the crime.

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CRIMINALS WILL GET US: Jose Reyes: Here in the country, it is not beyond imagination that if the decline in law enforcement goes too far, vigilantes will take over again. The Constitution, where the enforcement of anti-criminal laws is concerned, contains the seeds of its own destruction. 

The alternatives are clear: either we get the criminals, or it gets us. If the latter process is allowed to continue unhampered, the Constitution will be valueless.

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ARAY KOOOOO: Ellery Razo: Aray koooooooo, totoo yan. Ginaya yang batas na yan sa America eh. Kaso sa America dampot ka pa din kahit menor de edad ka.


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Tigukin na ang Juvenile Justice Law



INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “… Turuan natin ang bata sa daan na dapat niyang tahakin, at hindi na siya hihiwalay dito kahit sa kanyang pagtanda…” (Kawikaan 22:6, Bibliya).

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TIGUKIN NA ANG JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW: Panahon na nga upang tigukin ni Sen. Francis Pangilinan ang kanyang Juvenile Justice Law, Republic Act 9344. Masyado ng matindi ang ebidensiya na ginagamit ito upang makagawa ng mga karumal-dumal na krimen ang mga bata, na di pupuwedeng arestuhin batay sa batas. Marami na ang umaayaw dito, gaya ng ipinakikita sa mga Facebook egroups:

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MGA BATANG KRIMINAL, MAYAYABANG NA: Ferrum Mann: Atty. Batas, biktima kami ng mga batang kriminal, mga akyat-bahay na kabataan na kusang loob (at buong pagmamayabang) na umamin pa sa mga barangay tanod na inakyat nila ang aming bakod at ninakaw ang aming mga appliances sa aming garahe.

Ni hindi nga ako sigurado kung sila nga mismo ang nagnakaw, o pinagtatakpan lamang nila ang mga tunay na salarin. Matapos ang isang oras na pagtuturo mula sa DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), sinamahan pa sila pabalik sa kanilang mga bahay, tungo sa mga susunod nilang biktima. Estupido ang Juvenile Justice Law, gaya ng may-akda nito.

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KRIMINALIDAD SA KABATAAN, LAGANAP NA SA RP: BaronessAnne de Bretagne: Ginoong abogado, naiintindihan ko na ang mga batang kriminal ay dapat hulihin at maparusahan matapos ang paglilitis, pero marami sa kanila sa Pilipinas na nagiging kriminal ay wala ng mapuntahan pa, at salat sa karapatang lumaki bilang mga normal na mamamayan. Ang lipunan, sa akin, ang siyang responsible sa malawakang kriminalidad sa mga kabataan sa Pilipinas.

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CHILD CRIMINALS DESERVE PUNISHMENT: Marlene Howe: Here in the US, they can arrest underage criminals and they are sent to juvenile detention. Depending on the crimes they committed, they can sometimes be charged as an adult. 

Oftentimes, young career criminals know what they can get away with and they would even arrogantly say, I am a minor so you can't touch me! There must be a balance in how to deal with young criminals. There should also be some kind of punishment that fits the crime.

-ooo-

CRIMINALS WILL GET US: Jose Reyes: Here in the country, it is not beyond imagination that if the decline in law enforcement goes too far, vigilantes will take over again. The Constitution, where the enforcement of anti-criminal laws is concerned, contains the seeds of its own destruction. 

The alternatives are clear: either we get the criminals, or it gets us. If the latter process is allowed to continue unhampered, the Constitution will be valueless.

-ooo-

ARAY KOOOOO: Ellery Razo: Aray koooooooo, totoo yan. Ginaya yang batas na yan sa America eh. Kaso sa America dampot ka pa din kahit menor de edad ka.