Inaprubahan na ng dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso ang bicameral conference committee report ukol sa Senate Bill No. 2332 at House Bill No. 7836 para maamyendahan ang Revised Penal Code ukol sa pagdetermina ng statutory rape.
Sinabi ni Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri sa dalawang panukala, mula sa 12 anyos ay magiging 16 anyos na ang edad sa pagdetermina ng statutory rape.
“No one should become a victim of rape or of sexual violence, moreso our young and innocent children. So I have taken this issue as a personal advocacy—as a parent, as a Christian, and more importantly as a legislator,” diin ni Zubiri, ang awtor ng bersyon ng panukala sa Senado.
Pinasalamatan din niya sina Sens. Sonny Angara, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Lito Lapid, at Richard Gordon, sa kanilang pagsuporta sa kanya.
Ayon pa kay Zubiri balak nila na maging batas ang panukala bago ang pagtatapos ng 18th Congress.
“A lot of groups and advocates like the UNICEF have been waiting for this, so I am very happy that we are at this stage, about to conclude a very important and relevant piece of legislation towards the protection of our children,” dagdag pa ng senador.