[4] Prior to the 1997 amendment of Revised Penal Code of 1930, male victims of rape were not acknowledged under Philippine law.
[6] Since rape is punishable by reclusión perpetua, Article 90 of the Revised Penal Code provides a statute of limitations of 20 years from the date of its commission.
[9] Women in the custody of law enforcement officials in the Philippines are vulnerable to torture, including rape and sexual abuse.
Between 1995 and 2000 Amnesty International received reports of more than 30 incidents of rape or other sexual abuse of women or girls in custody.
According to Amnesty International's information, there has been only a small number of convictions of police officers for the rape of female detainees.
[11][12] Although the sex trade in the Philippines mostly caters to the indigenous population, NGOs and religious groups regularly sensationalize the problems of prostitution by drawing attention to the foreigner-oriented segment of this business.
But he confirmed that "Angeles intelligence policemen, in coordination with other counterparts, were directed to look into the veracity of the report and file necessary charges against the operators of the illegal activities if these really exist.
Obet Montes, coordinator for services of the women's group GABRIELA, says this is due to the victim's fear of society's judgment, of not wanting to be branded as a maruming babae (lit.
[25] Claire Padilla, a lawyer and advocate of women's rights who prosecuted the case of a 19-year-old who had the mental capacity of a six-year-old, says that a rape victim who keeps silent becomes easy prey for continued abuse.
[25] The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) both maintain help desks to assist victims of violence against women and to encourage the reporting of crimes.
With the assistance of NGOs, officers received gender sensitivity training to deal with victims of sexual crimes and domestic violence.