Maverick Kenneth Dela Cruz

STEM 11-Velasquez

Article Critique

Corporal or physical punishment as a form of discipline has been customarily practiced in

the Philippines and passed from generations to generations as an accepted social norm.
Throughout the years children have been used as medium of criminal activities. Small crime
serves as an avenue to greater crimes, and a child’s mind is most flexible when he/she is young.
Throughout the years children have been used as medium of criminal activities. Small crime
serves as an avenue to greater crimes, and a child’s mind is most flexible when he/she is young.
According to Mara Cepeda writer of the article, published at 3:45 AM of January 21,2019, the
House Panel agreed to the said bill

The article is all about the house panel agreeing about the bill to lower the age of criminal
liability, and why have they agreed to it. All members of the house panel gave a thumbs up to the
substitute bill that would amend Republic Act (RA) 10630, the law that currently retains the
minimum age of criminal liability at 15 but allows children as young as 12 to be detained in
youth care facilities or Bahay Pag-asa for serious crimes only such as rape, murder, and
homicide, among others. The exploiter of the child would face 12 to 20 years in prison if the
crime committed has a punishment equivalent to 6 years of jail time. If the child in conflict with
the law commits a crime where the punishment is more than 6 years in prison, his or her
exploiter would face life imprisonment or up to 40 years in prison. Parents of the children in
conflict with the law would undergo a similar intervention program at Bahay Pag-asa. Leachon
said if the parents “will not perform,” they would go to jail instead.

The ideas presented in the article are greatly convincing, for it shows valid information,
and tells who told a statement. The statements given were also presented by different news
publishers like Rappler.

“The youth is the hope of the country”, said Jose Rizal. Children nowadays are
committing crimes, whether light or heavy ones. A crime is a crime no matter the reason.
Children and youth are committing crimes for they know, they won’t be put to jail.

“Let it be understood that with the present bill, we are not putting these children in jail
but in reformative institutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community. They
are not branded as criminals but children in conflict with the law,” said Leachon.

The purpose of the paper is to inform and to update readers about the current situation of
the said bill, and this purpose was greatly achieved for people are now talking about this topic
and hundreds of thousands of people are now well aware of the current situation. There are
however weak spots of the article. First is that it lacks conclusion, second is that it lacks the
information given on why or what the reason the house panel agreed on lowering the age of
criminal liability, yet the article has its own strengths like it is short yet well written and it is well
informing. The article may be at its shortest yet it is very informing that it turned hours of
meeting into minutes of reading and understanding.

The article is also connected to many issues in the country. One is that the cases like rape,
murder, and homicide including parricide, infanticide, serious illegal detention, carnapping, and
violation of the dangerous drugs law are mostly committed by children aging 9-15 years old. It
also connects to a case that parents and exploiters use children to do their crimes for children will
not be put to jail, and when that child who committed a crime is brought out, he/she may do
another one and be released by the custody again, for the reason that he/she is only a child.

This article contributes much knowledge not only to people, but also to students for it
was written with the purpose to update people about the current situations. The arguments and
opinions of the people helped the house panel decide whether to give a thumbs up or a thumbs
down to the presented bill. It also helped people especially parents to be more aware of the
current situation for them to discipline more a child and not to use them in criminal ways.

So, it is said that Children from 9 years old to below 15 years old, and who committed the
serious offenses of murder, parricide, infanticide, serious illegal detention, carnapping, and violation of
the dangerous drugs law would be brought to Bahay Pag-asa for rehabilitation.
The exploiter of the child would face 12 to 20 years in prison if the crime committed has a punishment
equivalent to 6 years of jail time. If the child in conflict with the law commits a crime where the
punishment is more than 6 years in prison, his or her exploiter would face life imprisonment or up to 40
years in prison.

Therefore, this article was impressively written for it served its purpose and the goal of
the writer was achieved. This bill might be shocking to many, yet it is one of the most effective
ways for change. To change the country for a better future, the change must begin within us, and
the children who are easily enough to teach what is right and what is wrong.