Children in conflict with the law in the Philippines often come from poor communities where there are no economic opportunities for families. (Photo by Angie de Silva)
Protestant churches in the Philippines expressed opposition to a proposal pending in Congress to lower the minimum age for child prosecutions from 15 to nine.
In a statement, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines said the proposed law lacked solid basis and will only cause more harm than good to society.
"The government must dig deep into the roots why children are in conflict with the law rather than pursue a punitive measure that will only exacerbate the already poor conditions of children," read the church group's statement.
The group said studies have established that the stigma attached to a child labeled as "deviant" or "delinquent" contributes to the development of a consistent pattern of undesirable behavior by young people.
"Children in conflict with the law must be seen not in isolation with the context from which they come from," read the statement, adding that most children in conflict with the law are "into the depths of poverty."
The Protestant group warned that unless children are provided with food and shelter and their parents given reliable jobs with decent pay, the number of children in conflict with the law would continue to rise.
"Thus we affirm that the successful prevention of juvenile delinquency requires efforts on the part of the church, government, media, academe, and the entire society," read the statement.
