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COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE
20 September 2016 / EBV / III - 1
-----------------------THE CHAIRPERSON. (Continuing) correctional pillar of the criminal justice
system. So, a Subcommittee on Correctional Reform, to be headed by Vice Chairman
Henry Oaminal, to handle all sorts of reforms needed in thein the Bureau of Prison
and all other penitentiaries and jails that we have in this country.
Of course, we have our 5th Vice Chairman, Representative Arnulfo Noli
Fuentebella who will also Chair the Subcommittee on Immigration, Deportation and
Naturalization.
We have another committee special concerns, but we are still awaiting the
election of the Vice Chairman who will handle special matters, like, of course, land
registration, the IBP and theother aspects that we have not covered in the mandate
of the Committee on Justice.
So, under the Rules, Members of the Committee may choose which
Subcommittee they wish to be part of, provided that a Member may be a member of
only one Subcommittee. I would like to request that those who wish to be members of
a Subcommittee to inform the Committee Secretary, subject to equitable distribution of
membership. My intention is to activate all of these subcommittees so as not to lose
time in hearing measures that are vital to the reforms mentioned.
Now, for part 1 of todays Committee hearing, there are two such measures that
require our immediate attention since they are priority measures mentioned by the
President, no less, during his SONA, and by the Speaker during the opening of the
First Regular Session.
These are, one, the restoration of the death penalty for heinous crimes, and,
two, the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
There are currently seven House Bills on restoring the death penalty and four
bills on lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
Likewise, I have a letter from Honorable Kaka Bag-ao who wishes that her
House

Resolution

241,

entitled,

RESOLUTION

DIRECTING

THE

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN TO CONDUCT

AN INQUIRY IN AID OF LEGISLATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REPUBLIC
ACT 9344, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT 10630, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
JUVENILE JUSTICE AND WELFARE ACT, AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILFREN IF THE
MINIMUM AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY IS LOWERED, to be covered by
this particular hearing.

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COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE
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-----------------------At any rate, we will just give a brief moment for the sponsor or sponsors of this
Bill to introduce the subject, and what we will do thereafter is just download it or refer it
to the respective Subcommittees so that we can now proceed with thethe awaited
hearing on House Resolution 105 which was filed inon July 21, 2016, and this
authored by the Speaker Bebot Alvarez, the Majority Floor Leader Rudy Farias, our
Deputy Speaker Ranie Abu, Congressmen Duavit, Acop, Nograles, Suarez, Farias,
Tolentino, Leachon, and Martinez.
So, having said that
REP. RODOLFO C. FARIAS. Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Please, Your Honor.
REP. FARIAS. I move that, with respect to subparagraphs (a) and (b) of No.
IV, the Explanatory Notes of the Bills will be considered already as the sponsorship
speech so that we refer them to the proper Subcommittee already.
REP. ROMEO M. ACOP. Second.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Thank you.
It has been moved and seconded, so, there being no objection, the same
House Bill Nos. 116, 513, 3237, 3239, 3240, and 3418 is hereby referred to the
Committee onSubcommittee on Judicial Reform, while House Bills Nos. 2505, 1609
and 209 is hereby referred to the two Subcommittees on Prosecutorial Reform and
Correctional Reform.

So, you are hereby directed to immediately carry out the

mandate of your Subcommittees so that you can report it out to the mother Committee
for appropriate disposition.
REP. ARLENE D. BROSAS. Mr. Chair.
REP. F. H. CASTRO. Mr. Chairman.
REP. BROSAS. Mr. Chair..
THE CHAIRPERSON. Yes, Your Honor.
REP. BROSAS. Point of inquiry lang po.
Mr. Chair, this Representation delivered a privilege speech on August 2, putting
on record the position of Gabriela Womens Party, as well as the position of different
childrens organizations opposing the lowering of the minimum age of criminal
responsibility of children.
I believe that my speech has been referred to the Committee on Rules and to
the Committee on Justice last September 6, 2016. I would like to know if it can be
included. Since you said that it will be referred to the Subcommittee, I would like to

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COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE
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-----------------------bewell, I would like to express myI would like to put forward my intent to be a part
of this Subcommittee because I am notIm still not a member of the Committee on
Justice, I would also like to put forward my intent to be a member of the Committee on
Justice.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Okay. So, the Committee takes note of that. I hereby
request the Com Sec to please validate whether this priviis it a resolution or
privilegeprivilege speech has been referred by the Committee on Rules to the
Committee on Justice. And we still have vacant membership positions. You might wish
to, at the proper time, make representations with the leadership for your membership to
this Committee and the Subcommittee.
REP. BROSAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
REP. F. H. CASTRO. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Yes, please, Deputy Speaker.
REP. F. H. CASTRO. From the explanation of the Chair, there being other
measures with similar subject matter as House Bill No. 1, that is the re-imposition of
death penalty, may I, therefore, move that all these Bills be consolidated and House
Bill No. 1 be the surviving Bill. I move, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRPERSON. I hereby direct the Subcommittee on Judicial Reform to
please look into this matter for appropriate disposition.
Thank you.
REP. F. H. CASTRO. Mr. Chairman, similar motion insofar as House Bill No. 2
and other pending measures with similar subject matter, that they be consolidated into
one, and House Bill No. 2 be the surviving Bill.
REP. ACOP. Second.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Same directive to the Subcommittee on Prosecutorial
and Correctional Reform to take note of this and submit to the mother Committee your
action thereto.
So, having covered the first part of our agenda, we now go to House Resolution
No. 105. Let me give a brief remark on this.
As we now proceed to tackle resolution
(MR. REYNALDO T. SANTOS, JR. TOOK OVER)