Marcos Cautious on Lowering Criminal Liability Age

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday (Canada time) said the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal liability requires careful study. Speaking to reporters following his four-day official visit to Canada, Marcos said there is a need to identify first the reasons behind diminishing emotional or fear responses among minors. “I’m not sure how that will work. We have to study it further. Our child psychologists, the surveys being conducted, the mental health of children, that must be carefully studied,” he said. Marcos made the statement, cautioning that the proposal may imply that “children have changed from before.” While he acknowledged that the youth are now living in a “different world,” it must be clear first what triggers some children to sow violence. “I’m not saying that’s not the case. It’s possible. The world has changed. Their exposure to social media has changed,” Marcos said. “So maybe that has an effect. We’re not sure. But we’re studying it very well because of the effects of desensitization,” he added. Marcos said experts’ opinions matter, adding that he would consider the proposal if the underlying issues are addressed properly. “When it is clear that a certain game or class of games are responsible for the desensitization of our children to violence, then yes, I think we should ban them, and we will ban them,” he said. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for a measure seeking to ban social media for children below 16 years old following the spate of violent incidents involving minors. The Senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development will also conduct a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. Marcos earlier called for a collective effort to safeguard the youth and prevent school-related violence, including the June 22 shooting incident at a school in Tacloban City that claimed the lives of three students.