‘Ending child rape begins today’: Philippines raises age of sexual consent from 12 to 16
- Campaigners hope move will mean the country – which previously had lowest age of consent in Asia – is no longer easy prey for paedophiles and cybersex criminals
- A ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause will protect young, genuine lovers and the law will close loopholes such as an exemption in cases where victims agreed to marry their abuser
The move is aimed at protecting minors from sexual abuse and pushing back against the country’s reputation as one of the world’s capitals for paedophiles and cybersex criminals.
Under the new law, anyone found to have had sexual intercourse with a Filipino below the age of 16 will have committed the crime of “statutory rape”, unless both parties are in love and the age gap between them is less than three years. If one of the parties is below 13 it is rape regardless of the circumstances.
Romeo Dongete, convenor of the Child Rights Network, which has lobbied for the law change for decades, hailed the news as “a victory for the Filipino children. The road to ending child rape begins today.”
“We did it!” added opposition senator Risa Hontiveros, the bill’s main sponsor in the Senate.