MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives approved yesterday a bill lowering the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine years without jail time.

The justice committee chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon approved the motion filed by Deputy Speaker Fred Castro to consolidate House Bills 2, 505, 935, 1609, 2009 and 3973, which seek to lower the age of criminal liability.

The measure seeks to amend Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which set the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old.

“We are not putting children in jail, but in reformative institutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community,” Leachon said. “They will not be branded as criminals but children in conflict with law.”

He said children in conflict with law would not be detained but subjected to mandatory confinement for rehabilitation at youth care facilities or Bahay Pag-Asa, whose supervision will be transferred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development from local government units (LGUs).

The measure provides that a child nine years old and below at the time of the commission of the crime would be exempt from liability. Those above nine but under 18 years of age will also not be held liable unless the minor had acted with discernment.

Under the measure, the parents of children who run afoul of the law will be held accountable for neglect.

Leachon said the parents of children in conflict with law would be detained from 30 days to six months if they will not undergo intervention program such as parenting seminars and counseling to be supervised by LGUs. – With Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Emmanuel Tupas, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rhodina Villanueva, Rainier Allan Ronda, Helen Flores, Artemio Dumlao