A Facebook post satirically claims that Sen. Robinhood Padilla remarked that minority senators should be exempt from the juvenile justice law, which exempts minors from criminal liability. This is satire.
The post was in the form of a graphic with a vertical watermark that explicitly says “satire only” at the top-right corner, indicating that it was intentionally manufactured as a joke. However, comments from several netizens indicate they believe it to be true.
The quote card posted on June 23 contained a text that says:
“Ngayon naintindhan ko na ang Juvenile law, ibig sabihin kapag minor hindi pwede makulong. Pano yan minority kami, edi exempted kami sa batas.
(Now I understand the Juvenile [justice] law, which means that if you are a minor you cannot go to jail. How about that, we are a minority, then we are exempt from the law).”
The satire post played on the words minor, meaning a person under the legal age, and minority, referring to a political bloc in the Senate, to make a humorous blunder.
Despite the disclaimer, several casual scrollers on social media still believed it and left comments that were meant to ridicule the lawmaker:
“Napaka walang kwentang senador (What a worthless senator).”
“Robin Padilla is suffering from the most severe case of the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Please he needs psychological intervention. Kung nabubuhay lang sana si Mirian Defensor Santiago at naabutan ka
(Robin Padilla is suffering from the most severe case of the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Please, he needs psychological intervention. If only Miriam Defensor Santiago were still alive to witness you.)”
“Tamah kya di ka matakot pg my alam ka. Go future vp rubin💚🦅💪🏼 lipad tau ksama ang agila💪🏼💪🏼🦅🦅💚💚
(Correct, that’s why you won’t be afraid when you know something. Go future VP Robin 💚🦅💪🏼 let’s fly together with the eagle. 💪🏼💪🏼🦅🦅💚💚)”
“Sayang tax money sayo Idol (What a waste of tax money on you, Idol).”
“Maawa ka naman sa senado, wala ka nang ibinigay kundi kahihiyan! 🙄
(Have some mercy on the Senate, you’ve given nothing but embarrassment! 🙄) “
Padilla is pushing for a bill lowering the age of criminal liability following the Tacloban City school shooting involving two male suspects who are minors, aged 14 and 15.
In a June 22 interview, the senator called for the passage of his bill, seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10.
“Ang aking hinihingi na pabor sa aking mga kasamang senador, sana bigyan naman niyo ng panahon at pagkakataon ang aking panukala. I-amend na natin ‘yang juvenile ano na ‘yan kasi talagang ang dami na eh. Nasa mukha na natin
(I appeal to my colleagues in the Senate to give my proposed measure a chance and consideration. Let’s amend the juvenile [justice law] because there are too many [violent incidents] already. It’s right before us).”
Section 3 of the Act Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System in the Philippines, or RA 10630, says that:
“A child fifteen (15) years of age or under at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability. However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program pursuant to Section 20 of this Act.
A child above fifteen (15) years but below eighteen (18) years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings in accordance with this Act.”
The satirical post surfaced two days after the June 22 school shooting in Tacloban City involving two minors, leaving three other minor students dead and 20 others injured.
The post, published in the public FB group House of Representa-thieves: Butasang Pambulsa, has so far garnered 4,182 reactions, 235 comments, and 367 shares.
