Amnesty International is deeply concerned at renewed efforts by the Philippine government to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old. The proposed change is contrary to authoritative guidance on international standards relating to juvenile justice, which urges States not to lower their minimum age of criminal responsibility to the age of 12. This move is all the more disturbing when seen in the context of the Philippines’ ‘war on drugs’, which has left thousands dead and continues to claim children’s lives.
