Protecting Children From Rape And Sexual Harassment, President Duterte Agrees To Bill On Increasing The Age Of Sexual Consent

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. (Wikimedia Commons/PCOO EDP)

JAKARTA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a bill that raises the minimum age of sexual consent from 12 to 16, his office said Monday, in a bid to protect minors from rape and sexual abuse.

The Philippines to date has one of the lowest minimum ages in the world for sexual consent, behind Nigeria at 11 according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

A joint 2015 study by UNICEF and the Center for Women's Resources, a local non-governmental group, showed that seven out of 10 rape victims in the Philippines are children.

One in five respondents aged 13 to 17 years reported experiencing sexual violence. Meanwhile, one in 25 respondents experienced forced sex during childhood, the study said.

Under a gender-neutral law passed by President Duterte, any adult who has sexual contact with anyone aged 16 and under, will be charged with statutory rape, unless the age difference between them is three years or less. , proved to be consensual and not abusive or exploitative.

Exceptions do not apply if one of those involved is under the age of 13.

"We welcome this legal development, hoping to help protect young girls from rape and sexual harassment," said Josalee Deinla, spokeswoman for the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, which provides legal aid to poor and marginalized people in the Philippines.

Separately, Lawrence Fortun, one of the bill's main sponsors, described President Duterte's approval in this regard as a major step forward.

"I am delighted that our collective efforts to push for stronger protections against rape and other forms of sexual harassment are advancing," he said in a statement.