Why it’s important for Anne Curtis to speak up on age of criminal responsibility

Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Actress Anne Curtis has explained why it is important for her to speak up on the proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

“Being someone who works with children, I felt like this is something where I have a social responsibility to share what I had to say,” she said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Curtis is a celebrity advocate for children at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

While she admitted that many may not agree with her, she stressed the importance of sharing one’s opinions on such issues.

“Not everyone will agree with me and that’s okay, but this is my opinion and that’s how I feel about it. And every single opinion counts, right? And we hope that it’s heard, how we feel as citizens about it,” she said.

The actress added that it also “creates more awareness about what’s happening.”

Curtis earlier expressed her stand on the issue in a tweet: “Nakakalungkot isipan na ibaba nila ang criminal responsibility to the age of 9 (It is sad that they want to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 9). At that age, they are still very much children.”

“They still have a chance to change their ways […] instead of being sent to jail & sentenced as an adult,” she added.

READ: Anne Curtis saddened by proposal to lower age of criminal liability

Curtis reiterated her opposition to the proposal and added, “At that age kasi, you have to look at the people around them e. Who’s guiding them? Do they need extra care?”

The actress suggested ways to prevent children from getting into trouble, including education or intervention programs such as taking the children out of communities “that isn’t necessarly giving them love.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives approved on second reading on Wednesday a bill seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old, not nine years old as earlier proposed. /ee

READ: Amid public anger, House relents on criminalizing 9-yr-olds