o n t h e second Government t o periodic report o f t h e Philippines, recommen raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to an internationally acceptable level:' T h u s , t o a m e n d t h e c u r r e n t l a w f i x i n c r i m i n a l l i a b i l i t y at f i f t e e n years, after the l a w has b e e n lauded a n as a p o s i t i v e step i n t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f j u v e n i l e j u s t i c e , w i l l u G o v e r n m e n t u n d e r c r i t i c a l l i g h t . P a r t i c u l a r l y so because t h e l o w e r age o f c r i m i n a l l i a b i l i t y w i l l necessarily a n d c o n s e q u e n t i a l l y in number o f children i n detention, a phenomenon that has give u n f a v o r a b l e i n t e r n a t i o n a l p u b l i c i t y t o the G o v e r n m e n t . T h e C H R urges t h e p r o p o n e n t s o f t h e a m e n d m e n t t o a n d p r i n c i p l e o f r e s t o r a t i v e j u s t i c e , t h e fi-amework Justice a n d W e l f a r e A c t rests. T o l o w e r t h e a g e p u n i t i v e a n d n o t i n sync w i t h t h e ideals o f restorative revisit the e i n w h i c h th o f criminal l justice. T h e C H R has r e g u l a r l y engaged c h i l d r e n i n c o n f l i c t w i t h t h e l t h e latter r e s o u n d i n g l y expressed c o m f o r t i n t h e p r o t e c t i v e sta J J W A . I n t h e c o n d u c t o f l e g i s l a t i v e r e v i e w , therefore, i t is p r u d e n the proponents o f the amendment to consult meaningfiiUy w i t h child t h e m a t t e r . T h e v o i c e s o f c h i l d r e n m u s t find a p l a t f o r m t o i n f l d i r e c t i o n o f governance. T h e C H R is c o n c e r n e d t h a t t h e a t t e n t i o n g i v e n t o t h e l o w e r i n g age o f c r i m i n a l l i a b i l i t y r e m o v e s t h e focus o f t h e real n e e d t o e v a l u a t e t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e l a w . E f f o r t s m u s t instead be i n t o s t u d y i n g t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s , l o g i s t i c o r i n s t i t u t i o n a l , encount front-line service providers. Other indicators f o r a mea i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e l a w i s t h e existence o f l o c a l c o m p r e h e n s i v e i n t e r v e n t i o n p r o g r a m s a n d its appended b u d g e t a r y a l l o c a t i o n , i f a subsequent l i q u i d a t i o n . Perhaps t h e most telling sign o f t h e l a w n o t being i m p l e m e n t e d i s t h e c o n t i n u i n g presence o f c h i l d r e n i n j a i l . W h i l homes are s l o w l y being built, some local governments still need p r o d d e d t o allocate resources f o r t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e same. A n o area i n t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n is a c l a r i f i c a t i o n o n w h e r e i n d i v i d u a l s reached t h e age o f m a j o r i t y , o r eighteen ( 1 8 ) , but w e r e m i n o r s at t h t h e c o m m i s s i o n o f t h e c r i m e , w i l l b e b r o u ^ t . Indeed, there m i g h t b d i f f i c u l t i e s i n p u t t i n g these i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h c h i l d r e n i n y o u t h h o m e there m u s t b e s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n o f t h e process o n h o w t o deal w i t h c r i m i n a l l y e x e m p t b u t m u s t h a v e access t o appropriate i n t e r v e n t i o n p V e r i l y , m u c h e x a m i n a t i o n o n t h e J u v e n i l e Justice a n d W e l f a r e A r e q u i r e d . H o w e v e r , l o w e r i n g t h e age o f c r i m i n a l l i a b i l i t y is n o t t h e i m a g i n e d . A s State A c t o r s a n d i n s t r u m e n t a l i t i e s , m u c h is expected f 3