PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Nicolas Torre III reiterated his support for proposals to lower the age of discernment for juvenile delinquents, as long as such a policy is backed by scientific studies.

“We do support lowering the age of discernment but that should be based on scientific evidence,” he said in an interview on Saturday.

Torre said he leaves policymaking to lawmakers.

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The Supreme Court defines discernment as the capacity of a child to know the difference between right and wrong.

Determination shall then assess the ability of a child to understand the moral and psychological components of crime and the consequences of the wrongful act.

Under Section 6 of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (Republic Act 9344), a child between 15 and 18 years old shall be exempt from criminal liability and will be subjected to an intervention program, unless he or she acted with discernment, in which case the child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings.

Due to increasing crimes committed by minors, Sen. Robinhood Padilla proposed Senate Bill 372 to lower the age of criminal liability to 10 years old for those who committed heinous crimes, saying rehabilitating the young offenders through the government’s Bahay Pag-Asa is ineffective.

In addition, recruitment of child warriors by armed groups has also been condemned by human rights and advocacy groups around the world.

PNP chief supports lowering age of discernment

In the Philippines, thousands of children are being trained for warfare purposes.

Child soldiers as young as four years old are being taught to fire weapons and kill targets, according to reports.

According to experts, children are easy targets for military purposes because of their vulnerability. Others are recruited by force, while others join to escape extreme poverty.