Open Letter to Kiko Pangilinan Calls for Juvenile Law Reform After Maguad Case
MAGUAD SIBLINGS – A concerned citizen has written an open letter to Senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan, urging a review and amendment of Republic Act No. 9344, also known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The letter, penned by Missy Nardo, raises deep concern over how the law was applied in the tragic case of the Maguad siblings, Crizzle Gwynn and Crizville Louis, who were brutally murdered in their own home.
Under RA 9344, children in conflict with the law are provided with intervention programs instead of being incarcerated. While the law was originally crafted with good intentions—to protect and rehabilitate minors—the letter highlights how the world has changed significantly since the law was enacted in 2006. Crimes committed by minors today can be more violent and premeditated.
Nardo called on Pangilinan to take responsibility as the principal author of the law and to consider revising it. She emphasized that minors who commit heinous crimes with clear intent and understanding of their actions should face appropriate and timely consequences. She stressed that the minors involved in the Maguad case acted with “chilling intent, cruelty, and discernment,” clearly aware of the severity of their actions.
The letter argues that the current safeguards within the law may delay or even weaken the delivery of justice for victims and their families. Nardo appealed to Senator Pangilinan not out of anger, but with hope—that he would recognize the urgent need for reform and take action. “Let this tragedy lead to reform,” she wrote, adding that the law should not serve as a loophole for impunity, but rather as a tool that balances justice, protection, and accountability.
This call to action is not only for the Maguad family but for all families seeking justice in a system that may no longer fully respond to the realities of today.