DAVAO 1st District Representative Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte has slammed Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Representative Leila de Lima for opposing a proposed measure to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Philippines. The national debate was reignited following a brutal crime involving minors.

Duterte expressed frustration over De Lima’s position, which he described as lacking consistency and direction.

The remarks came after Senator Robinhood Padilla filed a bill seeking to amend Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The proposal aims to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 years old, particularly for heinous crimes.

Support for the proposal intensified after the gruesome killing of 19-year-old college student Sophia Marie Coquilla in Barangay La Filipina, Tagum City. One of the four suspects is a 14-year-old boy who cannot be held criminally liable under existing laws.

De Lima, a former senator and justice secretary, had earlier condemned Padilla’s proposal, warning it would do more harm than good.

“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,” De Lima said.

However, proponents of Padilla’s bill argue that existing legal loopholes allow some minors to evade accountability, even in grave cases.

The proposed amendment seeks to hold children aged 10 and above criminally responsible for heinous offenses and calls for their placement in Bahay Pag-asa youth care facilities.