‘8 women raped in RP daily’

An average of eight women a day were raped nationwide over the past four months. This translates into a five percent increase in reported rape cases, a senator said yesterday.

Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda-Leviste urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to increase the number of units dealing with sex crimes and other related crimes, such as the illegal drug trade, alcohol abuse and pornography, which she said could have contributed to the rise in rape cases.

A total of 901 rape cases were reported to the authorities from January to April this year, a five percent increase over the 863 cases reported during the same period last year.

Of the 901 reported rape cases, Legarda said almost 10 percent took place in Metro Manila. The Southern Tagalog Region had the most number of rape cases with 178.

Legarda is seeking the complete enforcement of a provision in the 1998 PNP Reform Act mandating the creation of a women’s and children’s desk in each police station nationwide; the creation of anti-sex crime units in all regional offices of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); and the full implementation of the 1998 Rape Victim’s Assistance and Protection Act, which provides for the establishment of one rape crisis center in each province.