Sotto backs raising statutory rape age to 16
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Saturday expressed support for the proposal to increase the age of statutory rape to 16 years old. Under the current Philippine law, the age of sexual consent is 12 years old.
“Payag ako doon. At least 16. ‘Yung iba kasi sinasabi, 18, pero baka masyadong stiff yung 18 kasi may mga nag-aasawa na ng 17,” the senator told DWIZ when asked if he agrees that age of statutory rape must be raised to 16.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri reiterated his proposal to increase the age of statutory rape to lessen cases of teenage pregnancy.
On the calls to ramp up sexuality education in schools to prevent teenage pregnancy, Sotto said it is offensive as well as “redundant” because it is already an existing provision under the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law of 2012 (RH Law).
“Doon sa sexuality education, mayroon na sa RH law. It is a matter of implementation. Redundant lang yun, parang inuulit lang yung provision ng RH Law. Redundant lang,” the senator said.
(On the sexuality education, we already have RH Law. It is a matter of implementation. It is just redundant, they are just reiterating the provision of RH Law. It is redundant.)
Article continues after this advertisement“Ngayon, yung gusto nilang gawing bago, offensive pa sa mga Catholic schools. Offensive. Lalo na sa mga magulang, naiisang tabi. Noong ilalagay lang lahat sa eskwelahan e sino sa eskwelahan ang magtuturo sa kabataan?” Sotto added.
Article continues after this advertisement(Now if they want to reform it, it could be offensive for Catholic schools. It’s offensive. Especially for parents, they are being set aside. If you allow schools to teach that, who will teach that to our youth?)
Data from the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) said the number of children below 15 years old who became pregnant doubled in 10 years from 1,000 in 2007 to 2,200 in 2018.
This data also led Malacañang to urge parents and schools to guide the youth on sex education as incidences of teenage pregnancies increased in the country.
