Duterte signs law raising age of sexual consent from 12 to 16
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure raising the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16.
Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11648 on March 4, 2022 but a copy of the law was made available to members of the media on Monday, March 7.
The new law, which amended Republic Act No. 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, increases the age for determining the commission of statutory rape in a bid to provide stronger protection for children againt sexual abuse and exploitation.
The new law exempts minors engaging in consensual sexual activity from criminal liability as long as their age difference is not more than three years.
The sexual act must also be non-abusive and non-exploitative.
The exemption, however, would not apply if the victim is under 13 years old.
The House of Representatives ratified the bicameral committee report last Dec. 14, 2021
READ MORE:
Online sexual abuse of kids increasing
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
