Senator Loren Legarda on Thursday, June 20 urged the Senate to investigate, in aid of legislation, the recent series of child rape cases happening in the country in a bid to strengthen the implementation of laws against it.
"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," Legarda said.
"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," the senator added.
Earlier, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) released a statement strongly condemning reported rape cases involving children.
The CHR said it considers these cases a grave violation of human rights and stressed the need for effective protective measures for children.
According to the Child Protection Network Foundation, Inc. (CPN), 2,890 of the 4,079 child violence cases reported from January 1 to May 26, 2024, were sexual abuse/assault.
Legarda said Congress should expedite passage of Senate Bill No. 2401, which seeks to 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.
At the same time, Legarda urged authorities to effectively implement the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act and the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, laws championing women’s and children’s rights.
At the same time, the lawmaker also urged authorities to properly implement 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.