SEN. RAFFY TULFO’S OLD CRITICISM OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW RESURFACES ONLINE
Amid the renewed public debate over the Juvenile Justice Law, netizens have brought back an old statement made by Senator Raffy Tulfo regarding the controversial law and its implementation.
The statement was from a May 19, 2016 episode of Wanted Sa Radyo, where Tulfo discussed the rising number of minors allegedly involved in criminal activities. At the time, he blamed the situation partly on the Juvenile Justice Law, saying the system lacked proper facilities and support programs to handle children in conflict with the law.
Under the law, minors are generally not treated the same way as adult offenders. Instead of being jailed, they are supposed to undergo intervention, rehabilitation, and guidance through proper government facilities and social services. However, critics argue that the problem is not only the law itself, but also the weak implementation, lack of rehabilitation centers, and shortage of programs that can truly correct and guide troubled youth.
Tulfo strongly criticized lawmakers behind the measure, saying:
“If you ask me, the ones who should be jailed are the lawmakers who pushed that law, because the children were not the ones who designed this system. Now they are left on the streets with nowhere to go.”
He added that passing a law without proper facilities and accountability only allows some minors to return to the streets after committing offenses.
“They created a law saying these minors should not be jailed, but after committing a crime, they are simply left on their own. They go back out and continue roaming around. The senators should be the ones held accountable,” Tulfo said.
Now that Tulfo himself is a senator, his past remarks are once again being discussed online. Many netizens are asking whether his position remains the same, especially as calls grow louder for amendments to strengthen the Juvenile Justice Law.
Tulfo has continued to support reviewing and amending the law, particularly to address repeat offenders, syndicates allegedly using minors in crimes, and the lack of proper rehabilitation facilities.
The issue remains sensitive: while many agree that children should not be treated like hardened criminals, others believe the law must be strengthened so that accountability, rehabilitation, and public safety are all properly balanced.
Question for the public:
Should the Juvenile Justice Law be amended, or should the government focus first on building proper rehabilitation centers and strengthening its implementation?
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