WHEN will the Senate pass its own version of a measure raising the statutory rape age to 16 years old from the current 12? The House of Representatives already
There is urgency for this. The current situation exacerbates children’s vulnerability to sexual abuses and violence such as rape. We have been witnessing an increasing number of young children who have been sexually abused and assaulted while our existing laws and measures fail to put these sexual predators behind bars.
The Philippine government, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, is tasked to embrace its commitment to the said treaty upholding the rights of the Filipino children – especially in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic that has placed children in a situation more vulnerable to abuse.
Children’s vulnerability to abuses and violence has been further highlighted with the reported increase of incest cases during the imposition of extended community lockdowns. Such vulnerability has doubled exponentially as families face increased hunger, poverty, socioeconomic and psychosocial instability.
It is important to note that the lack of consent is presumed especially among minors. We must recognize that a 12 year old child cannot in any way properly discern abuse and consequently cannot adequately defend herself or himself from such. Cultural stigma also awaits those who report or disclose sexual violence or abuse.
Except from the actual physical bruises that might heal in time, abuse to children leaves them a more serious injury that would take a lifetime for them if not addressed properly. Child abuse and violence may affect all domains of development – physical, psychological, emotional, behavioral, and social – all of which are interrelated.
