Following the Tacloban City school shooting, juvenile justice advocates are intensifying calls to fully fund the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, with experts arguing that strengthening rehabilitation programs offers a more “sustainable response” to youth crime than lowering the age of criminal responsibility.
Sociology professor Filomin Gutierrez said the recent incident should shift public attention toward the longstanding weaknesses in the implementation of the country’s juvenile justice system.
“Imbis na i-reject natin ang mga kabataang ito, itapon na lang natin sila sa kulungan na gan’yan, gawa natin ng paraan, give them an environment where they can change. Kasi nga there is hope,” Gutierrez said.
She added that children who commit offenses remain capable of rehabilitation when given structured intervention.
“Sometimes kasi delinquencies are cries for help,” she noted, stressing that punitive measures alone do not address the causes of youth violence.
The sociologist explained that many juvenile offenses stem from psychological, emotional, and social factors.
She added that school shootings are often associated with prolonged social isolation and rejection.
Meanwhile, she urged the public to recognize that the Juvenile Justice Law does not exempt children from accountability but instead places them under intervention, rehabilitation, and government supervision.
“Is there a meeting point where we can agree and uphold ’yung talagang totoong values natin? And that is ’yung youth gusto nating may disiplina pero inaalagaan din at ginagabayan,” the sociologist said.
Gutierrez added that misconceptions about the law have fueled public calls to lower the age of criminal responsibility, even though children who commit offenses remain subject to structured intervention and civil liability under existing laws.
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