Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a bill to raise the age of consent in the country from 12 to 16, media reported on Monday.
Until now the Philippines, according to UNICEF, has had one of the world's lowest ages of consent, second only to the 11-year threshold in Nigeria.
The new law imposes criminal liability on those who have had sexual relations with minors under 16 if the difference in age between the parties is no more than three years, CNN said. Under this provision, sexual relations must be consensual, without violence or exploitation, the report said.
The Philippine House of Representatives and Senate approved the law in mid-December 2021. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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