Repost: Malacañang Reacts to Response of Miss Universe Catriona Gray on Lowering Age of Criminal Responsibility

Video courtesy of YouTube: GMA News

Source: www.news.mb.com.ph

Malacañang said that Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray may have been misinformed about the bill which seeks to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to 12.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Filipina beauty queen expressed her opposition to the said bill, adding that the government should instead focus on addressing the reasons why children commit crime.

“I would rather that the efforts be refocused to why those children may be committing those crimes. Because working with kids, you know that when they’re that young–when they’re 11, 12, or nine years old–they’re not developed in that way, cognitively, to make decisions knowing full well the consequences,” Gray said in an interview with GMA News.

“So I would rather address the focus to what can we do to get the children out of those circumstance that they may be pressured in that way to do something,” she added.

In his Thursday press briefing, Panelo said Gray should be educated about the bill, but said they agree with her that the problems of the troubled children should be addressed.

“She should be educated. She may have been misinformed of the facts given that the opposition to the lowering comes from yung mga dating kritiko ng administrasyon (old critics of the administration),” he said.

“Yung sinasabi niya na focus on the problems, kasama yun eh (She’s saying that we should focus on the problems. That’s part of it). When you lower the criminal liability, kasama yun (that’s already part of it),” he added.

Panelo then explained to Gray that children in conflict with the law will not be put in jail with hardened criminals, but rather rehabilitated before being sent back to society.

“Sa batas nakalagay doon yung rehabilitation. Ang focus nga rehabilitation, eh (Rehabilitation is what is stated in the law. So the focus is rehabilitation). So you are solving precisely the problem why these people are engaged in crimes,” he said.

“Miss Universe hindi naman ikukulong. Ire-rehabilitate nga natin. Kaya tama ka doon (Miss Universe, they will not be jailed. We will rehabilitate them. So you are right when you said that), let’s focus on the problem. We are precisely focusing on the problem. Because the problem is they’re engaged in crimes,” he added.

“So what will we do? We will have to rehabilitate them. Learn why they have committed these crimes, and then put them back to society,” he continued.

The Palace official, however, commended Gray for voicing out her opinion on the matter, saying she just proved that she has genuine concern for children.

“But I’m glad she mentions it. It only means that she’s also concerned, which every Filipino citizen should have–a kind of concern,” Panelo said.

Gray is known to have worked with children and for advancing their welfare even before she joined the Miss Universe pageant.

Earlier, President Duterte said he is comfortable with the proposal of the House of Representatives to lower the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 years old to 12.

Currently, the Juvenile Justice or Welfare Act exempts children 15 years old and below from criminal liability. However, President Duterte has been repeatedly expressing that this measure is being abused by criminals who use minors to get away with their crimes.