Stop Batang Bilanggo Bill

Attention Cebuanos!

The Senate will hold its first hearing on lowering the Batang Bilanggo Bill on Friday at 10AM.

So far, only 9 senators have expressed their opposition to lowering the criminal age, whether it be to 9 or 12 years old. We need YOU to pressure the others to do the right thing.

Let's see democracy in action! Call and write the Senators to let them know this bill will not keep society safer and it will harm our children and families.

Suggested script:

Hello,

My name is ___ and I am a voter from ___. I am calling to urge Senator ___ to OPPOSE the bill to lower the age of criminal liability, EVEN TO 12 YEARS OLD. This law will do nothing to keep society safer. It will not protect children from criminal syndicates. Rather, I urge you to strengthen the existing Juvenile Justice Law, provide more funding for more DSWD social workers and Bahay Pag-Asas, and to go after the criminal syndicates. Thank you.

Senators contact info:

Vicente Sotto III
Phone: (632) 659-5259 / (632) 804-0270
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/teamsottoako/

Ralph Recto
Senate President Pro-Tempore
Phone: (632) 659-5756
Email: [email protected]
FB: www.facebook.com/senralphrecto

"Migz" Zubiri
Majority Leader
Phone: (632) 552-6601 to 70 local no. 5565
Email: [email protected]
FB: www.facebook.com/migzzubiri
Twitter:

Sonny Angara
Phone: (632) 552-6779
Email: [email protected]
FB: fb.com/sonnyangara
Twitter:
Instagram:

J.V. Ejercito
Phone: (632) 552-6748 / (632) 586-4882
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/SenJVEjercito/
Twitter:

“Chiz” Escudero
Phone: (632) 833-5034
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/senchizescudero/
Twitter: ;
Instagram:

Sherwin Gatchalian
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/WinGatchalian74/
Twitter:

Richard "Dick" Gordon
Phone: (632) 552-6776
E-mail: [email protected]
FB: www.facebook.com/senatorgordon
Twitter:

Gr**go Honasan II
Phone: (632) 552-6601 to 70 local nos. 5531 to 5533 / 5580
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Gr**go.Honasan/
Twitter:

"Ping" M. Lacson
Phone: (632) 552-6601 to 70 local nos. 5790, 8617
Email: [email protected]
FB: www.facebook.com/SenatorPingLacson
Twitter (personal):
Instagram:

Loren Legarda
Phone: (632) 833-1606 / (632) 833-1434
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/senatorlorenlegarda/
Twitter:

Manny Paquiao
Phone: (632) 552-6686 / (632) 552-6685
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MannyPacquiao/
Twitter:

"Koko" Pimentel
Phone: (632) 822-9758
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AttyKoko/
Twitter:

Joel Villanueva
Phone: (632) 552-6601 to 70 local no. 4675
Email: [email protected]
FB: https://www.facebook.com/joelvillanueva.org/
Twitter:

Child welfare groups are calling for warm bodies at the South Gate of the Batasang Pambansa tonight to persuade our legislators not to approve the bill lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 9 years old. There will also be a mobilization at the Senate at 9am tomorrow for the same purpose. Wear black. Please go if you can. Don't criminalize children! Punish the adults who use them!

TULONG, HINDI KULONG!

Nagsagawa ng INDIGNATION VIGIL sa South Gate ng Kamara de Representantes ang mga tutol sa pagpapababa ng minimum age of criminal responsibility sa edad 12, na kanina lang ay 9 ayon sa orihinal na panukala ng liderato ng Kamara.

Kung sa tingin nila na mas katanggap-tanggap ito, MALING-MALI SILA!

House changes proposed minimum criminal liability age from 9 to 12 years old The House passes the controversial measure on second reading after spending only two session days for the plenary debates

Ang lahat ay inaanyayahan sa isang INDIGNATION VIGIL kontra BATANG BILANGGO BILL sa SOUTH GATE ng Kamara de Representantes mamayang 5:30PM.

Only about 1.7% of all crimes are committed by children. The vast majority of these are petty crimes, like minor theft.

The irony. How many of those politicians who support this bill have stolen much more than a cell phone? Yet, they want to remain in power thinking they deserve their holier-than-thou attitudes while they put our children in jail.

"Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan strongly opposes the move, saying that the government cannot even “properly” hold adults liable for their crimes.

“Now we want to hold nine-year-old children-in-conflict-with-the-law criminally liable as well?” David said.

“For what? For being born in an environment of abuse? For being neglected or abused by abusive parents and being left to fend for themselves out in the streets? For being used by abusive adults in criminal activities?” he said.

David said that if the bill becomes a law, “this Congress should be remembered in Philippine history as the most naive, heartless, and unchristian Congress we have ever had”.

Instead of lowering the age of criminal liability, the bishops said that “stiffer penalties” should be imposed for those who exploit children in the perpetration of crime."

Bishop: Lowering age of criminal liability ‘unchristian’ A law proposing children as young as nine years old be incarcerated for crimes is “unchristian”, a Catholic bishop has warned.

Beyond juvenile delinquency: Why children break the law Part 1: Is there a future for children in conflict with the law? Out of youth centers, on the streets with no one else, they have nothing.