Flores, Zubiri, Acosta join forces to #EndChildRape
Three Bukidnon legislators showed support for a campaign that aims to raise the age to determine statutory rape in the Philippines from 12 to 16 years old.
Bukidnon Congressmen Manuel Zubiri (3rd District), Atty. John Flores (2nd District) and Malou Acosta-Alba (1st District) joined the #ENDChildRape campaign led by the Child Rights Network – Philippines.
Under current Philippine laws, sexual intercourse with a 12-year old child is not automatically considered as child rape.
According to Child Rights Network – Philippines, there have been numerous cases of children recounting in courts their experiences of sexual abuse because they still have to prove the absence of consent.
“This can be very traumatic for a child. We need to protect them,” Congressman Flores said.
The Child Rights Network pushes to increase the age to determine statutory rape in the Philippines from 12 to at least 16 years old. For statutory rape, the child only needs to prove 2 things: his or her age and that the sexual act happened.
Other Philippine congressmen who joined the #ENDChildRape campaign include Reps. Samantha Alfonso (Cagayan 2nd District), Glona Labadlabad (Zamboanga del Norte 2nd District), Sandro Gonzalez (MARINO Party List), Divina Yu (Zamboanga del Sur 1st District), Maria Lucille Nava (Guimaras Lone District), Juliette Uy (Misamis Oriental 2nd District) and Sharon Garin (AAMBIS-OWA Party List).
* Photo courtesy of CRN
