EDITORIAL - Age of sexual consent

The country has several laws to protect children from domestic violence and sexual abuse. Yet children continue to be victimized. One of the reasons has been the age of sexual consent – at 12 years old the lowest in Asia and one of the lowest in the world.

Both chambers of Congress have now given their final nod to their respective measures that will raise the age of sexual consent to 16. Adults who have sex with minors below that age can face prosecution for statutory rape. The gender-specific definition of rape is being amended to include males as victims as well as same-sex assaults. Also being proposed is the maximum punishment of life in prison for statutory rape.

With both chambers approving their versions of the measure, its enactment into law is certain. The next problem will be implementation. As many child welfare advocates have pointed out, among the biggest sexual abusers and exploiters of children are their own parents or guardians.

The problem has been exacerbated by the financial difficulties spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the lockdowns also providing more opportunities for adults to abuse minors in the household. From the early days of the pandemic, child welfare advocates have noted a spike particularly in cases of domestic rape and online sexual exploitation of children.

Raising the age of sexual consent and imposing tougher penalties could discourage such assaults. But there should be an efficient system of detecting and reporting such cases, as well as providing timely intervention. These are not as simple as they seem, especially when parents are the ones involved in the abuse and exploitation. There are children who have been brainwashed to believe their sexual exploitation is needed for the survival of their family. And there are children who refuse to be separated even from abusive parents.

Raising the age of sexual consent is a step forward in improving protection for children. It must be complemented by other measures to discourage the sexual abuse of minors.