Davao police grapple with rape surge

The Davao City police are not taking sitting down a report that the city has the highest incidence of rape in the second quarter of 2018 with 42 cases based on Philippine National Police (PNP) figures.

The city, insofar as rape cases are concerned, is followed by Quezon City with 41, Manila with 32, Cagayan de Oro with 24 and Zamboanga with 21.

Chief Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum said in an interview with DzBB that minors, aged 18 and below, are most prone to rape while party places and the homes of friends are the most common places where rapes occur.

“Majority of the victims are minors, majority of the cases that we recorded happened in houses of friends, during drinking parties attended by both sexes,” said Tagum in a mix of Filipino and English.

Assailants include family members like father and uncles.

Tagum said families can help the police prevent the commission of crimes, especially incest rape cases.

“This is a real problem why the PNP spokesman said that not only police intervention can prevent rapes happening inside homes but also intervention by the family.

“We have cases of the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, friends and peers committing the rapes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Davao City police are strictly enforcing level 3 alert on the streets and public areas to prevent terror attacks and to increase police visibility as a deterrence to crimes.