Nancy Binay press DOJ for more comprehensive report on incestuous rape cases in Philippines

The Department of Justice (DOJ) should provide a more detailed report on the rising incidence of incestuous rape cases in the Philippines, Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay said. 

Binay made the call during the public hearing on the proposed 2025 budget of the DOJ and its attached agencies. This, after the agency revealed that many of the 21,423 actual rape cases filed in court in 2023 involved incest.

Binay said it is imperative to know how many persons have been convicted of incestuous rape, how many cases are pending and the aging of cases. 

“As they say, justice delayed is justice denied,” Binay pointed out. 

The senator said a comprehensive data is needed to help the Senate craft legislation that would prevent the prevalence of incestuous rape in the country.

During the hearing, Justice Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes Andre told Binay that there are 21,423 actual rape cases filed in court in 2023. 

Andre assured the DOJ is aware of many ongoing cases and had many convictions of rape cases, including incestuous ones. According to Andre, closer collaboration between the prosecutors and law enforcement agents under the case build-up mechanism had resulted in a success rate of 94 percent of all cases for last year.

Last year, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that he would ask the Supreme Court (SC) to draft guidelines for lower courts to remove amicable settlement in resolving cases of incestuous rape and child abuses.

According to Remulla, many complainants, especially their families, opted to resolve these cases through an amicable settlement.

Binay concurred with Remulla saying the situation may not be resolved and may repeat again if cases are settled amicably.

“Kung hindi naman makukulong ang offender na nag-commit ng incest, walang kasiguruhan na mapoprotektahan ang biktima, at hindi matitigil ang pang-aabuso (The offender who committed incest won’t be prosecuted, there’s no guarantee that the victim would be protected, the abuses won’t stop),” she said.

“We have to be able to create an effective mechanism that would protect victims from sexual abuse, especially those that occur in their own homes,” the lawmaker emphasized.