Senator Sherwin “Win” T. Gatchalian and Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel received a petition with the signatures of 5,612 German and Austrian supporters of children’s rights presented to them by Fr. Shay Cullen and Francis Bermido Jr., president and vice president of Preda Foundation respectively, on behalf of the World Shops.
Preda Foundation frees and assists young children that are wrongly jailed for homelessness, being poor and suspected of wrongdoing. Preda Fair Trade supports this work.
The thousands of signatures were collected by the World Shops in an appeal to the Philippine Senate not to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years to 12. This will be a serious matter for the thousands of young children accused of petty acts against the law, making them vulnerable to being jailed for wrong-doing, related to their struggle to survive being abandoned and homeless.
Senator Win Gatchalian and Senator Risa Hontiveros are both strong supporters and champions of the rights of the child and have spoken out on behalf of poor children in need. In the on-going debate in the Senate, they are trying to persuade the other senators not to lower the minimum age of criminality responsibility and to give greater help and support to children in conflict with the law.
Senator Hontiveros said, “Getting tough on children in conflict with the law (CICL) while being lenient with big-time drug lords, smugglers and plunderers is not getting tough on crime, it is the promotion of a greater crime against our children and a case of not going after the real menace to our country.”
Senator ‘Win” Gatchalian has constantly defended the rights of the children in conflict with the law and continues his advocacy and support for them. He was deeply moved when Preda presented the thousands of signatures from the World Shops and viewed the photographs of the very young children locked up behind bars. In a statement, he said that the government should strengthen the implementation of the law “rather than lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR).” He also reiterated that the focus of the government “should be on addressing issues that cause children to commit offenses, using more constructive and nurturing means than outright imprisonment.”
The campaign continues with rallies by children rights advocates, such as Preda Foundation, supported by Fair Trade that supports the rescue and recovery of the children who have been wrongly jailed for no just cause.
Preda Foundation
