The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said it has started its own probe into the "grave" abuses experienced by two girls, aged seven and 15 years old, in Laguna and Bulacan.
CHR Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said the commission strongly condemned the "violence and indignities" suffered by these two girls and said that these incidents further highlight the vulnerabilities faced by children.
The first victim, a seven-year-old girl, was found lifeless inside a sack at the back of a house in Pila, Laguna last Aug. 15. The girl was not wearing any clothes and her body showed signs of abuse.
The second victim was a 15-year-old biker who was reported missing in Bulacan last Aug. 9. Her lifeless body was discovered in a grassy area in Barangay Bonga Menor in Bustos town last Aug. 12. Her body bore marks of cigarette burns.
De Guia said: “Children deserve a safe and empowering environment so they may eventually live productive lives. Sadly, crimes such as these further compound the challenges faced by children, especially young girls, during their formative years.”
She stressed that “the government should act on these concerns, alongside issues of gender equality, exclusion, and lack of access to opportunities for education and empowerment.”
"We note that, based on police updates, the suspect for the killing of the 15-year-old girl in Bulacan has been arrested in Camarines Sur on Friday, Aug. 19," she said.
"We look forward to the resolution of these cases consistent with relevant laws protecting the rights of girl children and women, such as the Magna Carta of Women,” she also said.
At the same time, De Guia said that since students are going back to face-to-face classes again, the commission stressed “the need to ensure their safety and security as well so that similar incidents won't happen elsewhere.”