The Philippine National Police (PNP) found that an average of eight people daily have become victims of sexual assault during community quarantine in the country.
The PNP recorded 602 rape cases between March 17 and May 23, which resulted in an average of eight per day.
The bureau didn’t provide any details about the cases regarding areas where there are high numbers of complaints or whether there are children in the said cases.
Still, this finding is lower by 53 percent from the recorded cases between January 9 and March 16, which showed an average of 18 victims a day. This was before community quarantine was implemented to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
The PNP defended its workforce regarding allegations that some officers stationed in checkpoints are involved in letting people through in exchange for sexual favors.
“I strongly urge those unnamed sources to immediately report to the PNP and file charges against suspected wrongdoers,” PNP chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa said.
“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have police frontliners who risk their lives on a daily basis. It is unfair that they become part of an unfounded generalization simply because of the criminal actions of a few,” he added.
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