(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday accused Senator Francis Pangilinan of “wreak(ing) havoc” on the criminal justice system with the Pangilinan law.
In a speech during awarding ceremonies of the most child-friendly cities and municipalities in Malacanang on Tuesday, Duterte blamed the law for what he said was the sorry state of the criminal justice system that see children 15 years old and younger committing crimes and going “scot-free.”
“If there is anyone who wreaks havoc on the (system) it’s (the senator),” he said.
He said that while he still rooted for Pangilinan, “di mo akalain they would be so parochial in these things.”
According to Duterte, the Pangilinan law “(does) not provide for any intervention after the arrest.”
As such, he said when a policeman accosts a child who has committed a crime, and the child says he is a minor, “automatic bibitawan yan or the police will go to jail.”
“Walang intervention. Sana man lang even a 30-second lecture..masabi sa bata na you have committed an irresponsible act, and you have to be accountable for it. Never mind na di siya makulong. The fact is, wala,” Duterte said.
“(If a 15 year-old and younger commits a crime), whatever the crime may be or is, maski rape with homicide, or nakaw with homicide, nada,” Duterte added.