VANCOUVER, Canada — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday that the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal liability requires further study, citing the need to understand the factors behind violent behavior among minors.
Speaking to reporters at the end of his four-day official visit to Canada, Marcos said the government must first consult child psychologists and review studies on children’s mental health before considering changes to the law.
“I’m not sure how that will work. We have to study it further. Our child psychologists, the surveys being conducted, the mental health of children, that must be carefully studied,” he said.
Marcos said policymakers must determine what causes some children to commit violent acts before deciding whether to amend existing laws.
He said children now live in a different environment and noted that social media may influence their behavior.
“I’m not saying that’s not the case. It’s possible. The world has changed. Their exposure to social media has changed,” Marcos said.
“So maybe that has an effect. We’re not sure. But we’re studying it very well because of the effects of desensitization,” he added.
Marcos said the government would rely on expert findings in evaluating possible policy changes.
He added that the government would consider banning certain games if evidence shows they contribute to children’s desensitization to violence.
“When it is clear that a certain game or class of games are responsible for the desensitization of our children to violence, then yes, I think we should ban them, and we will ban them,” he said.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has proposed banning children younger than 16 from using social media following a series of violent incidents involving minors.
The Senate committee on social justice, welfare and rural development is also set to review the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.
Marcos earlier called for a collective effort to protect children and prevent school-related violence after a June 22 shooting at a school in Tacloban City killed three students.
