Students to protest today at Senate in response to House passing MACR bill

Media Advisory

January 29, 2019

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Dhel Pulanco @ 09179402632

In response to House passing MACR bill:

Student and youth form “MACR Watch,” hold protest today at Senate

What: Protest by 200 college students and community youth

When: Today, January 29 (Tuesday)

Assembly 12 noon at Film Center then march to Senate complex

Details: In response to the passing last night by the House of Representatives on third and final reading of the proposed bill lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 years, student and youth groups are forming a “MACR Watch” and holding a protest today at the Senate.

The young protesters will carry a streamer with the call “Paaralan hindi kulungan para sa mga batang Pilipino! Not 9! Not 12! No to the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility!” The groups are forming a “MACR Watch” that will monitor the deliberations by Congress on the proposed bill. 

Young members of the Partido Manggagawa coalition mainly coming from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines student council, PUP Speak, Pwersa Youth and PM Kabataan will spearhead the rally at the Senate grounds. 

They are calling on the Senate to engage in evidence-based policy-making instead of impressionistic law-making. In last Friday’s hearing at the Senate, numerous experts spoke against the proposed bill based on tons of scientific research and case studies of children in conflict with the law. Yet committee chair Sen. Gordon abruptly ended the hearing and declared that he stands by his unsubstantiated opinion that children aged 12 years old should be arrested and imprisoned.