FIRST District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte criticized Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Representative Leila de Lima for opposing a proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Philippines, amid renewed public outcry over a recent brutal crime involving minors.
Duterte voiced his frustration during an interview at the 2025 State of the Barangay Address in Barangay 14-B on Friday, July 25, following the filing of a Senate bill by Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla seeking to amend Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The proposed measure aims to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 to 10 years old, especially for those involved in heinous crimes.
The lawmaker from Davao questioned De Lima’s position and the consistency of her advocacies.
“Kabalo mo ana, si Congresswoman De Lima, naa gyud na kaugalingon opinion pirme. Wala pud ko kabalo unsa iyahang adbokasiya gyud sukad sa administrasyon ni PNoy (former President Noynoy Aquino),” he said, adding that while De Lima may have experience in investigations, “when it comes to real issues like this, it’s unclear where she truly stands.”
(You're aware of that — Congresswoman De Lima always has her own opinion. I also don’t really know what her advocacy has truly been since the administration of PNoy (President Noynoy Aquino.)
De Lima earlier condemned Padilla’s bill, warning that it would do more harm than good to children in conflict with the law.
“Hindi kriminal ang bata. Ang batang naligaw ay hindi dapat kinukulong kundi kinakausap, inaaruga, at binibigyan ng pag-asa (A child is not a criminal. A child who has gone astray should not be imprisoned, but rather talked to, cared for, and given hope),” she said in her statement released Sunday, July 20.
The national debate intensified following the killing of 19-year-old college student Sophia Marie G. Coquilla in Barangay La Filipina, Tagum City, on July 9, where one of the four suspects was a 14-year-old boy. Police confirmed that the minor will not face criminal charges due to protections under RA 9344.
Police Major Anjanette Tirador, spokesperson of the Davao del Norte Police Provincial Office (DDNPPO), confirmed during a July 14 press briefing that while the minor suspect is exempt from criminal liability, efforts are being made to pursue justice within the bounds of the law.
Enacted in 2006 under the administration of then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and authored by then-Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, RA 9344 sets the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15. The law prioritizes rehabilitation and intervention programs over punitive measures for children in conflict with the law.
Padilla's proposed amendment, which seeks to hold minors aged 10 and above criminally accountable if involved in heinous crimes, aims to close what proponents see as a legal gap that allows young offenders to evade appropriate consequences.
The bill proposes the placement of such minors in Bahay Pag-asa youth facilities, with certain exemptions removed if the offense qualifies as heinous.
“While we make it clear that our thrust is to ensure that youth offenders are dealt with through the lens of restorative and not punitive justice, we must guarantee the integrity of our justice system remains and that we do not condone a more precarious state of abuse towards our children,” Padilla noted in his explanatory note. DEF
