The Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) concurs with the statement of the Philippine Society for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP) regarding the resetting of the minimum age of criminality. We strongly oppose lowering said age to twelve (12) years old or even younger.
The Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP) strongly opposes lowering the age of criminal responsibility of children to nine years old.
Children at nine years of age are not yet developmentally and morally capable of discerning right from wrong. Punishing them for being taken advantage of by unscrupulous adults will make them victims twice over, and is not for the best interest of children.
We recommend that the government should focus its efforts to implement existing laws governing children.