Sotto: Vote for candidates supportive of lowering age of criminal liability

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday urged the public to vote for candidates for the 2019 elections who are supportive of the measure that seeks to lower the criminal liability age from 15 to 12 years old.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Sotto said it is better to have public officials who are supportive of the measure in case it does not get approved in the current 17th Congress.

Yung mga kababayan natin na 85 to 90 percent na pabor doon sa gusto nating gawin... ang pinakamaganda sa mga kababayan natin, iboto ninyong senador yung mga pabor dahil tatamaan na ng eleksyon e," he said.

"Iboto niyo yung mga pabor. Huwag niyong iboto ang mga kontra," he added.

The House of Representatives has already approved on second reading House Bill 8858 which lowers the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old, but plenary deliberations have yet to begin in the Senate only a few session days left before the 17th Congress ends.

Sotto fears that if Congress does not fast-track the approval of the measure, it will have to be refiled in the next Congress.

"Magre-refile na naman, maghi-hearing na naman, matatagalan na naman e. Tapos ilang krimen pa ang magagawa mula ngayon. Pagkatapos mga bagong saltang officials yung sa July," he said.

"Pinakamaganda kung magagawa natin yan ngayon, sapagkat napakatagal nang sakit ng ulo yan, gawin na natin yan ngayon para pati yung budget para doon sa Bahay Pag-asa ay maapura at madagdagan," he added.

Originally, the House's version of the measure proposed that the minimum age of criminal responsibility is nine years old, but the Senate's version, which Sotto filed last September, has always been 12 years old.

Sotto pointed out that 12 years old is the "international standard" of age of criminal responsibility.

"Makikita mo rin na mula noong araw na nine years old and below yan, wala naman masyadong problema sa atin e. Mga 1,200 ang average na krimen lang per year na involved ang minors, below 18," he said.

"Nung naging RA 9344, yung age na nine to 15 [years old], nag-gloat to about 10,000 to 12,000 a year ang krimen na involved sila," he added.

Sotto is expecting to begin the deliberations in the Senate for the bill this week. —Erwin Colcol/LBG, GMA News