Anne Curtis saddened by proposal to lower age of criminal liability

MANILA, Philippines — Actress Anne Curtis has expressed her stand on lowering the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine years old.

Nakakalungkot isipan na ibaba nila ang criminal responsibility to the age of 9. At that age, they are still very much children. They still have a chance to change their ways if they happen to cause or get into any trouble instead of being sent to jail & sentenced as an adult. 💔 https://t.co/H9to9QHyjD

— Anne Curtis-Smith (@annecurtissmith) January 22, 2019

“Nakakalungkot isipan na ibaba nila ang criminal responsibility to the age of 9. At that age, they are still very much children,” Curtis wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.

This was a response to a tweet by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Philippines that read: “May batas na tayo para sa mga children in conflict with the law: ang Juvenile Justice & Welfare Act (RA 9344).”

“Ngunit hindi ito nabibigyan ng tamang pondo at suporta para sa tamang implementation nito sa buong bansa,” it added.

May batas na tayo para sa mga children in conflict with the law: ang Juvenile Justice & Welfare Act (RA 9344). Ngunit hindi ito nabibigyan ng tamang pondo at suporta para sa tamang implementation nito sa buong bansa. #ChildrenNotCriminals #NoToLoweringMACR #NoToLoweringOfMACR pic.twitter.com/wzZY89BDtd

— UNICEF Philippines (@unicefphils) January 21, 2019

Curtis, a UNICEF celebrity advocate for children, stressed that there is still hope for children if they get in to trouble.

“They still have a chance to change their ways if they happen to cause or get into any trouble instead of being sent to jail & sentenced as an adult,” she said.

While various child rights group expressed strong opposition on the said issue, the House of Representatives justice panel approved on Monday a bill lowering the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine years old. /cbb

READ: House panel swiftly okays lower age of criminal liability