MANILA – House of Representatives Senior Deputy Minority Leader, Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima, has filed a measure to strengthen the protection of women and children against rape and sexual violence.
De Lima filed House Bill 8716 on March 23 to expand the definition of rape to emphasize the absence of consent; recognize grooming as a form of predatory conduct that may lead to sexual abuse; and impose harsher penalties when the crime is committed by persons in positions of authority or trust.
Under the measure, violators will be penalized with 40 years of imprisonment without parole.
By strengthening definitions, penalties, and accountability mechanisms, she said, the proposed measure seeks to reinforce the State’s commitment to protect individuals from sexual violence and exploitation and to uphold their fundamental rights to dignity, safety, and justice.
De Lima, in a news release on Saturday, noted that incidents of violence and abuse across genders and sexual orientations remain significantly underreported due to fear, stigma, and barriers to accessing justice, highlighting the need to strengthen legal safeguards and enforcement mechanisms against these human rights violations.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 11,479 cases of rape involving girls below 16 years old in 2023, yet no case was filed under RA 11648 during the same period.
Meanwhile, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), two million children in the Philippines were subjected to online sexual abuse and exploitation in 2021 alone.
“With these alarming figures, we aim to implement stronger procedural safeguards against sexual exploitation, including mandatory reporting obligations, the prohibition of amicable settlements and affidavits of desistance in rape cases, and better protections for the privacy and identity of victims,” the former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights said.
“At a time when cases of rape and sexual abuse on digital platforms remain rampant, and when some government officials and persons in positions of authority or trust tolerate vulgarity and harassment, we urgently need a stronger law to ensure greater accountability.” (PNA)
