Alunan: Hold parents accountable for the actions of their children

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

In response to the recently-approved congressional bill seeking to lower the age of criminal liability to nine years old, former Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III yesterday declared, “There are no delinquent children, only delinquent parents.”

“If your child is committing a crime at nine years old and you are not doing anything about it, by the time [he or she] is 21, [they] will become the next headline crime story,” he added.

Alunan believes “prevention” is most important and parents should be punished “harshly” if their children commit a crime.

“I will insist on that,” affirmed Alunan who is running for senate in the upcoming midterm elections. “What is the point of parental responsibility if they cannot [be held] accountable?”

Last Monday, the House of Representatives Committee on Justice approved a bill that would lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to nine years old./DGB, WDJ