President Duterte Won’t Change Pangilinan Law To Doom Kiko’s Chances In 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte is no longer keen on lowering the age of criminal responsibility to nine years old, but it’s not exactly a change of heart.

President Duterte said Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 will spell doom for any political ambition that its principal author, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, might have.

“Ginawa niya ‘yan. ‘Di lumubog siya diyan kasi ‘pag hindi, kalaban pa natin ‘yan sa eleksyon. Tatakbo rin siya ng… Baka takbo ‘yun ng presidente. Matalo pa tayo. Ngayon pa lang i-kick na,” President Duterte said in a speech at Pasay City Wednesday, October 18.

“Hayaan mo ‘yan. Let it float. Let the law remains there,” he added.

Presidential daughter Sara Duterte, the mayor of Davao City, had accused Senator Pangilinan of having his eyes set on a presidential run in 2022.

President Duterte said Senator Pangilinan’s push to raise the age of criminal liability led to the creation of a “generation of criminals.”

“They are taken into custody because he’s a minor. Fifteen years old, ‘pag sinabi niya, ‘I’m 15,’ labas ‘yan. So these guys go in and out of prison every day without even a minute of lecture of the responsibility of a citizen and the sense of accountability doing a wrong,” he said.

President Duterte said Senator Pangilinan should have instead pushed for the creation of correctional institutions in each town or city where youth offenders could “be lectured on what is right and what is wrong.”

Despite claiming to be the senator’s friend, President Duterte said he has been eager to attack Senator Pangilinan.

“Nandiyan ba siya? Suntukin na lang kita para tuluyan na,” he added.

Source: Politics