Is it the juvenile that are really delinquent? REFORMING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES Increasing crime rates is becoming one of the major problems of the society nowadays. We may blame the offender for engaging in the act of committing these crimes, but one may argue that due to poverty and the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, some people become criminals to be able to survive and meet their daily needs. Others do it for self-interest or based on the environment they were currently exposed to. The Philippines, being one of the third world countries in Asia, is clearly not exempted from facing these problems of increasing crime rates. According to recent surveys, the Philippines is among the top 30 countries worldwide with the highest crime levels. The US Overseas Security Advisory Council (US OSAC) rated the Philippines’ overall crime and safety situation as “high”. Reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP) claims that in 2015, crime rates increased by 46 percent; 885, 445 crimes were committed on the first half of the year compared to 603,085 cases committed the same period from the previous year. Peak of these cases occur at the urban and populous areas, most especially in Metro Manila, wherein it records the highest number of total reported cases. PNP also released the list of the top 15 cities in the Philippines with the highest number of cases documented, with Quezon City, being the most populated city in Metro Manila leading the list. The nature of the crimes can be classified into two; (1) crimes committed against a person which includes murder, homicide, physical injury and rape, and (2) crimes committed against properties which includes robbery, theft, car napping and cattle rusting. Table 1: Top 15 Cities with Highest Crime Levels City Documented Case Quezon City 65514 Manila City 54689 Cebu City 38797 Davao City 37684 Cagayan de Oro City 31345 Baguio City 27090 Zamboanga City 20736