Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday said the government should establish intervention programs rather than further lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility

"I'm against lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility, but I agree that we should review and evaluate it and, if needed, amend it to strengthen the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act,” Hontiveros said in mixed English and Filipino.

However, Hontiveros explained she is open to revisiting the 2006 Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act to ensure children in conflict with the law are fully rehabilitated, as Republic Act 9344 states that a child 15 or younger who commits an offense is exempt from criminal liability but placed under intervention programs instead of prosecution.

Meanwhile, for serious crimes such as murder, homicide, rape, or if the child is a repeat offender, the law mandates placement in a Bahay Pag-asa, a rehabilitation and residential care required by law to separate them from adult detention spaces and prevent a relapse into criminal behavior.

“The intervention programs should cover even the gravest cases, including minors who kill or hurt other children, like in Tacloban,” Hontiveros added.

If any bill on the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act reaches the Senate justice committee, Hontiveros said she would join the hearings to hear the latest research. "I'll participate actively so I can learn what the state of the art is in the science and in the right advocacy," she said.

"For me, more than the age itself, one of the most important starting points is the intervention and diversion programs for children who run into problems or violate the law," Hontiveros noted.

The senator reiterated that online spaces were originally safe, as it is a space for children to play, enjoy themselves, and make friends, asserting that they should remain a “safe space” and deny access to malicious actors who spread violence.