SAN JOSE, Antique – Now that President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill raising the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16, there must be a massive public information campaign about it.
According to Atty. Ade Santillan Fajardo, former national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the main goal of Republic Act (RA) No. 11648 is to provide protection for young people against rape and sexual abuse.
“Kita nagasakdag man sa public information campaign, imaw dya ang aton programa sa pagpalapnag nga may bag-o ron nga krimen,” said Fajardo, a candidate for congressman in Antique province.
RA 11648 amends RA 3815 or the Revised Penal Code and RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
The new law mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to include in its basic curriculum age-appropriate subjects tackling the rights and protection of children related to the new law.
“Part of the implementation of the law is to educate. Tugroan gid ka atensyon kang aton local government units (LGUs) kag mga schools nga mapaluntad kag mapawaragwag ang bag-o nga layi nga dya para mabuligan ang aton nga mga minors nga nagahinagpis sa kasakit nga anda inagihan,” said Fajardo.
However, while information dissemination must be done, Fajardo emphasized that it is also important for victims to come out and cooperate and file a complaint to the authorities against their abusers.
The new law considers a sexual act as rape “when the offended party is under 16 years of age or is demented….”
“Any person who shall keep or have in his company a minor 16 years of age or under or who is 10 years or more his junior in any public or private place, hotel, motel, beer joint, discotheque, cabaret, pension house, sauna or massage parlor, beach, and/or other tourist or similar places shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period and a fine of not less than P50,000,” stated the new law.
However, this does not apply to any person who is related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity or “any bond recognized by law, local custom and tradition or acts in the performance of a social, moral, or legal duty.”
Citing further the new law, Fajardo noted that if the sexual act is consensual, for instance they are lovers both age 15 years old, the boyfriend could not be charged automatically.
“Sa bag-o nga layi, indi automatic nga kasuhan or pwede kasuhan pero may depensa. Halimbawa, nagapalangga-anay sanda, wara ti kondisyon nga may coercion, intimidation, wala ginpwersa, wara ginpirit…exception ri-a sa amo ri-a nga layi,” Fajardo explained.
The new law provides that there shall be no criminal liability on the part of a person having carnal knowledge of another person under 16 years of age when the age difference between the parties is not more than three years, and the sexual act in question is proven to be consensual, non-abusive, and non-exploitative.
It, however, provides further that if the victim is under 13 years of age, this exception shall not apply.
“Kon ang antad ninyo below three years pero gasulod sa amo ra nga edad nga may paghigugma-anay or pagpalangga-anay, bisan immature pa ran nga matawag naton sa amo ran nga edad, may depensa ang lalaki dyan ka ri-a,” Fajardo further explained.
Meanwhile, Fajardo lamented that young people’s early engagement in sex can also be associated with social and economic problems, especially poverty and family problems.
“Naga-angot man sa social and economic problems nga ang mga kabtaan naton kis-a galingin man ang ulo nanda sa anda nga balay. Tungod pigado ang pangabuhi wara gid ti agtunan so naga dangop sa young love. Ti ang resulta na ka ra-many times temprano nga pagbusong,” said Fajardo.
This, he added, results in a “cycle of poverty…kay wara gani ti ipakaon ang tatay sa bata na, mabata pa ang bata na.”
Fajardo stressed that education is really important in this aspect.
“Importnate ang education…amo ra nga seguro mabalik ray-a sa question nga ‘Nami ayhan ang pangabuhi ka mga tawo, ang aton mga kasimanwa sa bukid?’ Hay kon naga eskwela daad ri-a, saku sa pagtuon tungod may paeskwela ang anda nga ginkinan. Kundi malikawan daad ra mga temprano nga pagburosong sang aton kabataan,” Fajardo added./PN
