Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan will introduce amendments to R.A. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, due to several issues raised, his brother Anthony said yesterday.

R.A. 9344, authored by Senator Pangilinan, is the first law that protects the rights of children in conflict with the law and will provide them the opportunity and chance through alternative child-friendly measures to reform and be reintegrated to the family and their community as productive members of society, he said.

Anthony said the senator, together with Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, has written down the specific provisions in the law that had to be improved.

Bacolod Councilor Ana Marie Palermo said she believes there is just a misunderstanding of the law since it is not allowing the child to go scot-free but for government to do something to prevent juvenile delinquency. She said the lowering down of the age of criminal liability is subject of many years of research and study and that it should be remembered that a jail is no place for a child.

Anthony and his wife Maricel Laxa yesterday visited the Balay Pag-asa in Bacolod considered a good model for a juvenile rehabilitation facility which they hope to build in Manila. He said the facility they plan to put up, which is already an implementation of R.A. 9344, has received P1 million from the senator, P1 million from Senator Ralph Recto and another million from the PLDT-Smart Foundation which he represents.

He said the senator has also committed to build an executive halfway house in the city for the juvenile delinquents while the Bacolod City government will provide P250,000 for the project.

Anthony said the senator decided to run as independent candidate since sometimes there are issues where he is not in conformity with the administration. He was one of those who asked the President to resign, he said.

He said the senator has declined both the invitation of Team Unity and the Genuine Opposition to join their slate. As an independent, he can work with both the administration and the opposition and he has shown that he is a true fiscalizer, he said.*CGS

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