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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF TH E ] f ■

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ] -rn-r- -..

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S e c o n d R e g u la r S e s s io n ]

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SENATE

S. B. No. 1575

I n tr o d u c e d b y SENATOR SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN

AN ACT
INCREASING THE AGE FO R DETERMINING STATUTORY RAPE TO
PROVIDE STRONGER PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN, AND AMENDING
FO R TH IS PURPOSE ACT NO. 3 8 1 5 , AS AMENDED, ALSO KNOWN AS
THE REVISED PENAL CODE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article 34 of The C onvention on th e R ights of th e C hild is explicit th a t

S tate P arties, su c h a s th e Philippines, sh o u ld u n d e rta k e to p ro tect th e child
from all form s of sex u al exploitation a n d sex u al a b u se. Sim ilarly, we eire
ta sk e d to tak e all ap p ro p ria te m e a su re s to prev en t th e in d u ce m e n t or
coercion of a child to engage in any unlaw ful sex u al activity a n d the
exploitative u se of children in p ro stitu tio n or o th e r unlaw ful sex u al practices.

In resp o n se to th is m a n d a te , a n in su rm o u n ta b le a m o u n t of legal,
h u m a n ita ria n a n d advocacy w orks are being done, n o t only by th e Philippine
governm ent, b u t by different o rganizations th a t are fighting to e n su re th a t
Filipino children are safe from sexual a b u s e s a n d exploitation. In spite of
th ese, th e in cid en ts of p ro stitu tio n a n d sexual solicitation involving victim s
who are u n d e r 18 y e a rs old are com m on new s th a t we e n c o u n te r every single
day.
 O n a legal perspective, th ere is a need to c o n tin u o u sly stre n g th e n a n d
enforce law s to a d d re ss th is m atter. C urrently, th e Revised Penal Code
im poses m axim um p en alties for sex u al offenses w hen th e victim is u n d e r
twelve (12) y e ars of age b u t a d o p ts a less stric t policy for sexual offenses
a g a in st m in o rs over twelve (12) y e a rs of age.

In th e U nited S ta te s, th e legal age of c o n se n t varies from 16 to 18 y ears

old from sta te to state. The age of c o n se n t in C a n a d a a n d A u stralia is 16 y ears
old. It is th e sam e for m o st A sian c o u n tries like M alaysia, Singapore a n d
Taiw an. A com parative observation show s th a t th e P hilippines h a s one of th e
low est age e stab lish ed in d e term in in g sta tu to ry sexual a b u s e s com m itted
a g a in st children.

In th e Philippines, th e age of m ajority s ta rts a t 18 y e ars of age. R ights

acq u ired u p o n reach in g th e age of m ajority include th e rig h t to give c o n se n t
to a co n tra ct, th e rig h t to vote, th e rig h t to o b tain a Professional D river’s
License a n d th e rig h t to m arry su b je c t to ob tain in g p a re n ta l co n sen t. Upon
reach in g th e age of m ajority, a p erso n is considered to have reach ed basic
level of m atu rity th a t allow s him to exercise all th e rig h ts a n d a ssu m e all th e
resp o n sib ilities of being a n ad u lt. C onsequently, th e age of m ajority sh o u ld
also be considered a s th e p ro p er age in te rm s of giving sex u al co n sen t.

R aising th e m inim um age of c o n se n t to 18 y e ars old for th e

d e term in atio n of sta tu to ry rap e w ould a d d re ss teen p ro stitu tio n a n d w ould
ex p an d th e scope of p rohibited sex u al rela tio n s w ith a m inor to be classified
a s a n a c t of rap e u n d e r an y circ u m sta n ce .

T h u s, th e p assa g e of th is bill is e a r n e ^ y so u g h n

SHERWIN T. GAT
 SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
S e c o n d R e g u la r S e s s io n
'17 AUG 3 0 P3 50

SENATE h L i , . ■. .

S.B. No. 1575

I n tr o d u c e d by SENATOR SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN

AN ACT
INCREASING THE AGE FO R DETERMINING STATUTORY RAPE TO
PROVIDE STRONGER PROTECTION FO R CHILDREN, AND AMENDING
FO R THIS PURPOSE ACT NO. 3 8 1 5 , AS AMENDED, ALSO KNOWN AS
THE REVISED PENAL CODE

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the

Philippines in Congress assembled:

1 SEC. 1. Act No. 3815, a s am en d ed , otherw ise know n a s th e Revised

2 Penal Code, Artiele 266-A (l)(d) is hereby am en d ed to read a s follows:

3 “Artiele 266-A. Rape, W hen a n d How C om m itted. - Rape is com m itted

4 1. By a m an who shall have e a rn a l know ledge of a w om an u n d e r any

5 of th e following circ u m sta n ee s:

XXX XXX XXX

7 (d) W hen th e offended p a rty is u n d e r EIGHTEEN (18) [twelve (12)] y e ars

8 of age o r is d em ented, even th o u g h none of th e c irc u m sta n c e s m entioned
9 above be p re s e n t.”

10 SEC. 2. R e p e a lin g C la u s e . - All law s, a c ts, p resid en tial decrees,

11 exeeutive ord ers, ad m in istrativ e ord ers, ru les a n d reg u latio n s in e o n siste n t
1 w ith o r c o n tra iy to th is Act are deem ed am en d ed , m odified, or repealed
2 accordingly.

3 SEC. 3. E ffe c tiv ity C la u se . - T h is Act sh all tak e effect fifteen (15) days
4 after its p ublicatio n in a t lea st two (2) n ew sp a p ers of general circulation.

Approved,