Lowering age discernment won’t solve juvenile delinquency in the Philippines

Children who violate the law should not be presumed criminals. They are victims! Victims who should be help to correct his/her mistakes. Most of the children have become juvenile delinquents either out of necessity, because of poverty or through force, because of the syndicates. They should not be jailed. The state should be concerned in the welfare of the children. The increasing number of the juvenile delinquents only reflects the failure of the government to respond to these problems.

Even adults who presents themselves in court are frightened, has much more for a nine year old child undergoes to the court procedures in our justice system? During trials, the accused stays in the jail together with adult prisoners. Here in the Philippines, the delinquents were not segregated from the adult prisoners. After their release, they will go back to the street with more knowledge of committing crime learned from the adult prisoners. If this happened, there would be more crimes involving the delinquents. Is this what you want to happen?

The solution to the problem of the juvenile delinquency is not lowering the age of discernment, but good education and vocational training. There should be a move by the government to institutionalize children, rather than jailing them. Rehabilitation is more applicable in solving this problem. So that, this juvenile delinquents could play this constructive role in our society.