SENATOR Nancy Binay has called on the Department of Justice to provide the Senate Finance Committee with a detailed report on incestuous rape cases, particularly those involving children.

Binay requested the public hearing on the proposed 2025 budget of the DOJ and its attached agencies, following the agency’s revelation that many of the 21,423 rape cases filed in court in 2023 involved incest.

“How many persons were convicted of incestuous rape? What is the conviction rate, how many cases are pending, and how long have they been pending? As they say, justice delayed is justice denied,” Binay asked.

The senator stressed the need for comprehensive data to help the Senate craft legislation to prevent the prevalence of incestuous rape in the country.

Last year, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stated he would ask the Supreme Court to draft guidelines for lower courts to eliminate amicable settlements in cases of incestuous rape and child abuse, as many complainants and their families opted for such settlements.

Binay agreed, noting that unresolved cases might leave victims vulnerable to further abuse if settled amicably.

“If offenders who commit incest are not imprisoned, there is no guarantee that the victim will be protected, and the abuse will not stop,” she said.

According to the Child Protection Network Foundation, up to two million Filipino minors aged 13 to 17 experienced sexual violence in 2020. Dr. Bernadette Madrid, its executive director, noted that most perpetrators were family members.

“We need to create an effective mechanism to protect victims of sexual abuse, especially those occurring in their own homes,” the senator said.