Lawyer Noemi Truya-Abarientos, deputy executive director of CLB said in a news forum on Tuesday, September 5, that rape cases happen regardless of age. | CDN File photo by Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The rising number of rape cases in Cebu has alarmed officials of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB), a non-profit organization in Cebu City.
Lawyer Noemi Truya-Abarientos, deputy executive director of CLB said in a news forum on Tuesday, September 5, that rape cases happen regardless of age.
Alarming
Moreover, she expressed that it is “alarming” for the CLB to know that there are consecutive reports on rape cases because they handle such kind of abuse against children.
According to CLB’s executive director, these reported cases are only one out of 10 percent, and there are still nine cases that are not reported.
Among the contributing factors of unreported cases is incestuous or rape within the family.
These are cases involving father and child, stepfather and child, uncle and child, and brother and victim.
Rape occurs if there is no consent from the other party, she said.
Nature of rape
A year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, rape cases mostly occurred inside the house said Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, the newly appointed Deputy Provincial Director for Operations of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).
Prior to his assignment in CPPO, Caballes was assigned to Talisay City, Cebu.
When he referred to their data in Talisay City, between 2021 and 2022, the city ranked first among LGUs with a high number of rape cases in the entire region.
As he studied the data with their Women and Children Protection Desk investigator, they found out that most of the suspects were fathers while the victims were their children living under one roof.
“During that time, it was a pandemic, less ang movement. They’re staying on one roof for the whole day, for the whole week, for the whole month,” he said.
READ: 3 girls raped every week in Zamboanga City, crime stats show
Clothing does not matter
Meanwhile, Abarientos encouraged those who are victims of rape especially minors to tell an adult about what happened or when they experienced being violated.
“Ang katong adult pud nga mao’y recipient sa report, ayaw i-judge ang bata nga nag report. Pinakasakit siguro sa feeling sa usa ka violated nga victim of rape is to be blamed nganong nahitabo to sa imoha,” she stated.
There are instances where people would blame the rape victim for wearing provocative clothing.
Caballes also believed that what people wear would not matter.
“If iya gyud nang buhaton (suspect), whether or not fully covered imong body or slightly covered or partly covered imohang body, if buhaton gyud na niya, iya gyud nang buhaton ang kana nga krimen,” he stated.
Stop blaming rape victims
“Kung mabiktima ka’g rape, mabiktima jud ka’g rape, and actually there is no automatic response,” she stated.
With this, she encouraged the people to stop victim-blaming.
She said that sometimes, people would not know if someone is a victim because the victims respond differently.
She added that there are no stereotypes of being a rape victim.
Meanwhile, she said that CLB also visits some barangays in Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu City to provide legal aid.
Through their legal aid, they provide legal assistance to victims. /rcg
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