A Big NO to Kiko’s RA 9344

Law makers have been debating about youth imprisonment with ages 15-10. This is after Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero gave birth to a revise penal code of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s Republic Act (RA) 9344 or Juvenile Justice Welfare Act of 2006. Under Pangilinan’s penal code, ages 15-10 cannot be imprisoned after committing a crime. They will just be given a disciplinary action together with their parents from their barangays then they will be discharged. And people with ages 16-18 will not be jailed if and only if they performed a particular crime without discernment.

A brainchild and useless law is what Pangilinan created. This is somewhat a junk and not necessary by sound minded citizens. The law aims to prevent accused minors who went against the law from getting jailed. They are not obliged to be punished for they do not know what they are doing. But these are not enough reasons to let the law stay. As a matter of fact, it is a big mistake, especially the one which is mentioned by the senator that the age of complete mental development happens at 21.

The mental development age which happens at 21 does not have something to do with how youth think nowadays. At the age of 10, an individual already knows the difference between right and wrong. Oftentimes, when a young adult commits a mistake, he usually hides what he did to his parents for he is afraid to be scolded or punished.

It seems that the senator underestimates the abilities of youth in terms of mental abilities. Perhaps, when he was young, he didn’t know the differences between right and wrong.

According to Philippine National Police (PNP), hold upping is the most frequent case of youth in Metro Manila. In 2006, there are only 846 cases but in 2010, it climbs up to 50% or 1631 cases.

Batang Hamog is one of the best examples on why not to implement the proposed law. Batang Hamog has been one of the most talked groups on televisions. Batang Hamog is a group of youth ages 10-16 who once forced to open the taxi’s doors and stole money from drivers along Guadalupe in Makati. If ever that they are being used by a syndicate, and they are captured by the police, what will happen to them if the bill has been executed? First, after these people faced a disciplinary action, they will be discharged immediately. The young adults will be entrusted to their parents and have an advice on letting their sons not to do the crime again. And second, because of irresponsible parents (if ever), the group may do a crime again. And if the syndicate gets the news about the discharging of Batang Hamog, they may be used again in dispersing fright along highways.

Batang Hamog is not the only youth involved in crimes. A boy, 16 stole a motorcycle in front of a police station. Another is an incident happened I SM Pampanga, where the killer himself committed a suicide after the planned killing of his girlfriend.

Implementing RA 9344 is the same as letting number of crimes to increase in rate. Most of syndicates will be persuaded to use youth as drug couriers. Syndicates think that the children will not be put behind bars even though they continuously use them badly.

Bring back the previous law saying that children below are only exempted of being jailed. Say no to Kiko’s RA 9344 and support Francis “Chiz” Escudero in fighting for reinstating the last system’s basis on whom to jail or not.