Legarda seeks inquiry into ‘alarming’ surge in child rape cases

FUNDING ORAL HEALTH CARE: Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda commends Sen. Raffy Tulfo for bringing to the attention of the Senate the urgent need to address dental caries or tooth decay suffered by 73 million Filipinos. “Do you know that the Department of Health used to have either a Bureau of Dental Health or dental health program in their budget? Perhaps we can find out the government program that zeroed out the budget or abolished the program,” Legarda said during plenary session Tuesday, May 14, 2024. The lady senator proposed to reinstate the program or the bureau to make oral health care services more accessible to the people, especially the marginalized sector. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — The  series of child rape in the country has alarmed Sen. Loren Legarda, prompting her to call for a Senate probe.

In calling for the inquiry through Senate Resolution No. 1050, Legarda stressed the need to review and strengthen laws to prevent the commission of rape and other forms of abuse.

“We are very concerned with the alarming increase of child rape cases, especially that many of the perpetrators are relatives of the victims, trusted individuals,”  she said in a statement on Thursday.

“We need to find out whether our current laws are enough or are even being properly implemented to punish the guilty, protect the victims, and empower the state to help the victims recover anew,” she added.

The senator, in particular, called for better implementation of laws that champion women’s and children’s rights such as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act and the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Other laws that she said should be “implemented properly” are the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and its expanded version, and An Act Promoting for Stronger Protection Against Rape and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Increasing the Age for Determining the Commission of Statutory Rape.

In the resolution, Legarda enumerated at least nine reported cases of rape nationwide mentioned in an earlier statement of  the Commission on Human Rights.

“A  significant portion of these cases involve perpetrators who are relatives of the victims, trusted individuals, which significantly intensifies the victims’ trauma, leading to long-term emotional and psychological damage that far surpasses the physical harm,”  she pointed out in the measure.

“The home, viewed as a haven of love and safety, has tragically become the setting of these heinous crimes,”  she added.

The resolution likewise cited a report of the Child Protection Network Foundation, Inc. which showed that from January 1 to May 26, 2024 alone, 70.85% or 2,890 of the 4,079 reported total cases of violence against children are sexual abuse/assault.

Legarda pressed Congress to pass her Senate Bill No. 2401 that would institutionalize the establishment of Women and Children Protection Units in all government hospitals.

“We are also seeking to assess if the substantial amount spent regularly on gender issues is making a significant impact on the most critical issues on gender and child rights,” she said.