Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III's statement on lowering the age of criminal responsibility

"The prevailing juvenile justice law did not result in bringing down the number of crimes committed by minors, many of which were violent in nature. This is the sad reality and one that we cannot afford to just accept or turn a blind eye to. Just like any other bill in the Senate, this proposal will be debated, scrutinized and the views of both those against and in favor will be taken into consideration. These are challenging times and we need to offer timely solutions. The objective is not to incarcerate children, but to place them in the Bahay Pag-Asa facilities across the country where they would be rehabilitated and given a chance to enjoy normal lives. Part of the bill is to upgrade these facilities which the current law failed to address."