A 45-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping 12 children in Manila, Vonne Aquino, reported in a Unang Balita report on Thursday.
Cellphones containing photos and videos of the alleged sexual acts were recovered from the suspect.
The suspect was identified as Francisco Zorilla. Apart from his cellphone, a small flashlight, grenade, condoms, petroleum jelly, and two bottles of liquor were also seized from him.
According to the Special Mayor’s Reaction Team, cellphones containing photos and videos of the suspect’s sexual abuse of minors will be used as evidence against him.
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Man arrested for raping 12 children in Manila
The parents of the 12 minors Zorilla allegedly raped reported him to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on January 30.
Zorilla’s victims were 7 years old, two 10-year-olds, seven 12-year-olds, a 13-year-old, and a 16-year-old.
Zorilla’s strategy is to make friends with minors on social media and meet up with them all at once.
The suspect denied molestation and rapes minors allegations against him.
The suspect will face 20 counts of statutory rape and other charges.
According to the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) records, one child is raped every hour in the Philippines as of 2017. The issue of rape in the Philippines is an ongoing battle cry for women’s rights.
One of the biggest concerns with the Anti-Rape Law of 1997 is the minimum age of giving consent, which is 12 years old. Another is the penalty for a convicted rapist, which is life imprisonment or a maximum of 40 years. Many groups of women activists push the death penalty for rape.