A tragic school shooting in Tacloban that claimed the lives of three students has reignited a fierce national debate in the Philippines regarding the minimum age of criminal liability. Currently set at 15, the law is facing renewed pressure from figures like Senator Robinhood Padilla, who advocates for lowering the age to 10. While victims’ families and some government officials call for stricter punitive measures, child rights advocates warn that this is a dangerous misstep. Former DSWD undersecretary Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa and various experts argue that police presence in schools and harsher prison sentences fail to address the root causes of anti-social behavior, noting that statistical data shows children account for only a tiny fraction of national crime.

Rather than criminalizing the youth, advocates and progressive lawmakers suggest that the government should focus on the holistic rehabilitation and social support structures already outlined in the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. They argue that the focus must shift toward community involvement, better training for social workers, and stronger support for families, who serve as a child’s first educators. By addressing the societal environment that fosters violence rather than simply opting for punitive legislation, the Philippines can better protect its children. As the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child maintains, any age below 14 is considered an inappropriate threshold for criminal responsibility, reminding leaders that the solution lies in intervention and social development rather than incarceration.