On Abusive News Today

Manila Rep. Manny Lopez (Photo courtesy of congress.gov.ph) MANILA - A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Wednesday said the new law raising the minimum age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 could help drastically reduce abuses against minors and provide stronger protection for them. Manila Rep. Manny Lopez, one of the principal authors of Republic Act 11648, said the legislation would provide stronger protection against rape and sexual exploitation and abuse, especially in poorer communi...

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo) MANILA - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed into law a bill raising the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16. Republic Act (RA) No. 116481, signed by Duterte on March 4, amends RA 3815 or the Revised Penal Code and RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. The law increased the age for determining statutory rape to 16 years old to provide more protection for young people against sexual exploi...

MANILA - The United Nations (UN) Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday lauded the Philippine government for passing a law increasing the age of sexual consent from 12 years old to 16 years old -- making sexual activity with those below 16 to be considered statutory rape. In a statement, UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov congratulated the Philippine government for the "legislative milestone" after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 116481 or the Speci...

Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun (File photo) MANILA - A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Monday lauded the signing into law of a measure that raises the minimum age of sexual consent from 12 to 16, describing it as "a major step forward" toward justice and equality. Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun said the new law not only increases the age for determining statutory rape to below 16 years of age, but it also makes statutory rape gender neutral. Fortun said this m...