Last time I checked, hindi ineengganyo ng Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act ang pumatay. Hindi rin sa JJWA or kay Sen Kiko nanggaling ang baril na pumatay. So the indignation is misplaced.
There is something deeply troubling about a society that is quick to demand the harshest punishment for children, while celebrating convicted plunderers, tolerating corruption, and rewarding leaders who normalize violence.
Young people do not grow up in a vacuum. They learn from the values we model, the behavior we reward, and the systems we build around them. Violence rarely begins at the moment it becomes visible. It is often preceded by bullying, social isolation, neglect, untreated trauma, and countless missed opportunities for intervention.
If we want children to reject violence, then we must also be willing to examine the ways our society excuses, glorifies, and profits from it. We cannot celebrate violence among adults and expect young people to learn a different lesson.
As someone who has spent three decades advocating for children, I find it deeply troubling that his first instinct is to make younger children criminally liable rather than address the failures that allowed this tragedy to happen in the first place.
Three children are dead.
The question is not why a 10-year-old should be punished.
The question is why minors have access to firearms.
The question is why violence continues to find its way into our schools.
The question is why our education, mental health, social welfare, and law enforcement systems repeatedly fail children before a crime is ever committed.
Real leadership requires more than reacting to headlines.
It requires understanding the problem.
Lowering the age of criminal responsibility may generate applause. It may generate media attention. But there is little evidence that it addresses the root causes of youth violence.
Children who commit serious crimes must be held accountable. But accountability should not become a substitute for prevention.
A senator’s responsibility is not merely to propose the harshest response. It is to propose the most effective one.
I have worked with vulnerable children for most of my adult life. Many have been abused, neglected, abandoned, exploited, or exposed to violence long before they ever entered conflict with the law.
It is easy to appear tough on children.
It is much harder to confront the adult failures that create these tragedies.
Before Senator Padilla asks Congress to treat younger children as criminals, perhaps he should explain why government has failed to protect them as children in the first place.
THE PHILIPPINE SENATE in 28 days under Alan Peter Cayetano:
Estimated Cost - P700M. Output - chaos, gunfire, Bato’s escape despite ICC-issued warrant while under its “protective custody”, session boycott, failed destabilization attempt, unauthorized committee hearings highlighted by one not presided nor attended by a single senator.
WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS’ MONEY!
There’s a very obvious, very calculated move to discredit Risa’s capabilities happening right now. It started with the “walang legal background” comment. It’s Leni lutang all over again.
Simple lang naman. Ang mga supporters ni Sara Duterte ang pinaglalaban yung apelyido ng pamilya. Ang mga supporters ni Leni Robredo ang pinaglalaban yung alam nilang kaya niyang gawin para sa Pilipinas. 🌹
Sa akin lang naman, kahit gaano ka kapanatiko, the mere fact that billions flowed into the accounts of the Duterte family, which was confirmed by the AMLC and never denied by the Dutertes, is reason enough to consider that they may actually be corrupt.
⚠️ Rowena Duwagzon, Malou Tiquia and DDS used to say that Sara Duterte was cleared by COA already because OVP was given an unmodified opinion.
Parehong PAHIYA dahil may ₱478 Million na utang na si Sara from COA.
Heidi Mendoza lang ang tama! 🥳
#SaraMagnanakaw
I don’t think Leni will win no matter how much campaigning we’re going to do. Why? 1 policy of Leni is full transparency bill. Ang daming korap na Councilor & Congressmen na hawak ang mga bara-barangay na hawak ang mga chairmen, mga kagawad, lupon.Ang lalim ng problema sa sistema
Remember yung atat na atat mag-presidente may ₱448 million na pera ng bayan na inuutos ng COA na isauli. If you’re wondering why mahirap ang Pinas, there’s your answer.
Israel Zionists now colonizing the Philippines. Our Govt is useless. 😭 just remember most muslims live in peace with us. In years if there will be news of terrorism from Muslim. THIS IS THE starting point. ofc Israel will fake it and cause excuses to rid and abuse locals. F them
filipinos will cancel someone over harmless things, but when it comes to holding the government accountable sa mga katarantaduhan na ginagawa nila sa’tin, ayaw bumoses
Alam niyo ba na ang bugok na tatay Digong niyo ang dahilan sa pagdurusa ng mga Pilipino sa mataas na presyo ng langis?
May VAT na nga na 12%, dinagdagan pa ng excise tax per liter!
Tax-on-tax!
Salot talaga sa Pilipinas yang mga Duterte. 🤮
#DuterteLegacy
Nagngingitngit sa galit si Sara Duterte dahil mas inuuna raw ng gobyerno ang impeachment niya kesa sa oil crisis.
'Di ba inuna rin noon ng tatay niya ang pagpapasara ng ABS-CBN kesa tutukan ang covid pandemic at iba pang kalamidad?