Rights group demands end to ‘culture of impunity’ over Bicol rapes

ALBAY, Philippines – Women’s rights group Gabriela has called for accountability and stronger protection for survivors of gender-based violence in the Bicol region, warning that a culture of impunity continues to place vulnerable women and children at risk in remote communities.

The call comes as the case of Sabrina (not her real name) has drawn national attention. The young woman from Tinambac, Camarines Sur, who has moderate intellectual developmental needs, was allegedly sexually assaulted repeatedly, a case that advocates said reflected the broader dangers faced by marginalized women in far-flung villages in the region where access to justice is limited.

Rights advocates said the situation is part of a wider pattern in Bicol, where hundreds of rape cases have been recorded in recent years, many involving minors and perpetrators known to the victims. They warn that poverty, fear, and local political influence often discourage families from pursuing complaints.

Amid growing calls for justice, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered authorities to look into the allegations, and ensure protection for the alleged rape victim, Sabrina, and her family.

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY. Rights groups in Bicol are demanding an immediate and transparent investigation into the abuses. Advocates are also urging authorities to provide the survivors with comprehensive legal, medical, and psychosocial support. Graphics by Guia Abogado/Rappler

Elusive justice

Sabrina could barely read when she discovered she was pregnant. She used to be a part-time student at the Redeemer Homeless Mission (RHM), a nonprofit educational shelter for the homeless, attending classes — particularly on weekends — to learn how to read, eat, and pray.

Sabrina, who was 20 when the alleged first rape happened, has moderate intellectual developmental needs, according to her psychiatric report. With an IQ of 50, psychiatrists said her cognitive capacity is that of a child no older than 12. She is now 23.

Her vulnerability apparently made her an easy target. According to complaints filed by her family with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Sabrina was subjected to repeated sexual assaults allegedly by Rodolfo Chavez Salvador Jr., a son of a barangay official. In one instance, she was allegedly raped in a grassy area just 50 meters from her own home.

A rape case under article 266-A is now with the Regional Trial Court Branch 63 in Calabanga, Camarines Sur, according to their lawyer Mary Joy Acobera.

Based on the sworn statement of Sabrina’s mother, the alleged abuse resulted in a pregnancy, and her unborn child could have been a crucial piece of evidence carrying DNA that might identify the alleged rapist.

It was also alleged that there was a cover-up attempt. Sabrina’s mother alleged that the suspect’s mother tricked her daughter into drinking coffee laced with a substance that supposedly caused severe bleeding for three days, which eventually led to a miscarriage.

The alleged ordeal, however, did not end there.

Another man, who was said to be employed by the suspect’s father, reportedly courted Sabrina. After gaining her trust and becoming her boyfriend, he allegedly conspired with Salvador and the suspect’s mother to abduct her.

Sabrina was allegedly forced onto a motorcycle, taken to a bus station in Naga City, and brought to Montalban, where she was allegedly made to undergo a dilation and curettage procedure without her mother’s knowledge.

Nearly a year passed before she found her way back to Tinambac. This time, she was said to be carrying the child of the very man who had allegedly helped the suspects induce her previous miscarriage.

Still struggling to comprehend the gravity of the alleged abuses, Sabrina recounted her missing months to her mother and Maria Camille Dowling Ibanes, a full-time missionary at the shelter.

“When we learned what had happened, we felt deeply sad,” Ibanes told Rappler during a phone call on Wednesday, April 1. “It is especially heartbreaking because these children, including Sabrina, come from deeply impoverished backgrounds. They are stuck in survival mode, making them vulnerable to local politicking and leaving them without access to justice when preyed upon by those in power.”

According to the mother’s sworn statement, a former social worker who should have been protecting abuse victims allegedly offered Sabrina’s mother a P100,000-bribe on two separate occasions in exchange for their silence. The mother, however, stated that she rejected the offer.

The local Philippine National Police told Acobera that the accused is already in detention.

IMPUNITY. Extreme poverty and a lack of access to justice remain the primary reasons why abuse victims in remote villages are forced into silence — a reality worsened when local officials actively shield the perpetrators. Graphics by Sam Calleja/Rappler

Entrenched abuses

In an interview with Brigada News FM Goa, a radio station in Tinambac, barangay councilor Rodolfo Salvador, whose family is being implicated in the abuses, vehemently denied the allegations.

“I have to fight back because these accusations are vile; I cannot stomach how they are smearing my name. I am being dragged all over social media, but there is absolutely no truth to any of it,” he said in Bicol.

The official added that he had invited the victims’ camp to a dialogue, but to no avail. “Despite the things they are saying about me, and even though I am just a simple barangay official, I told them we should meet face-to-face here at the barangay hall to resolve this issue. But if they refuse to face me, then there is nothing we can do,” he said.

However, Ibanes and barangay records tell a different story. Barangay blotters dated November 18, 2025, and January 19, 2026 show that Ibanes had already filed complaints and met with the official. She alleged that, in retaliation for helping the victims, members of his family cut and took electrical wires at the mission shelter.

When the official later requested a private, one-on-one meeting, Ibanes refused, citing security risks. In a letter submitted to the barangay on February 22 — a day before a proposed third meeting — she made her safety concerns clear. The letter was received and acknowledged by the barangay chairperson’s wife.

“Please understand that these people have kidnapped, raped, murdered, stolen, and threatened us; we will never be alone with them. If they don’t agree, we are happy to deal with this in court,” Ibanes alleged in her letter to the barangay.

UNREPORTED HORRORS. The Philippines continues to battle high rates of sexual violence, particularly in Bicol’s far-flung rural villages, where a significant number of incestuous rape cases go entirely unreported. Graphics by Sam Calleja/Rappler

Systemic impunity

Sabrina is not the only one to allegedly suffer this tragic fate. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2023, at least 11,479 rape cases involving those younger than 16 were recorded. However, none of these cases were filed under Republic Act No. 11648, a law that extends protection against statutory rape, SunStar Cebu reported.

In the Bicol region alone, the PNP Women and Children Protection Desk has recorded over 700 rape cases since 2023, with more than 100 cases logged in early 2025 alone.

Bicolana Gabriela, the regional chapter of the women’s rights group Gabriela, condemned the persistently high number of cases. The group noted that the lack of access to justice exacerbates the situation, often forcing victims into silence, particularly in remote villages like those in Tinambac.

“In some provinces, such as Camarines Sur, most victims are minors, and the perpetrators are often acquaintances or people with influence,” the group told Rappler. “Many cases of incestuous rape also go unreported, especially in isolated communities where fear, shame, and a lack of support prevail.”

Aside from rape cases, the regional human rights alliance Karapatan-Bicol recorded at least 292 cases of children’s rights violations from 2022 to 2025. These incidents range from violence against women and children and forced separation from guardians, to physical assaults, threats to safety by state agents, and the denial of the right to education.

“But we all know that these rights are not being realized; every day, people suffer, especially children,” Nida Barcenas, spokesperson for Karapatan-Bicol, said. “We do not want to pass this on to our children and grandchildren.”

Ibanes, who has been helping the community since 2021 added, “Most of these families do not have a lot, so they don’t complain and are left to take all the abuse. They don’t have any demands other than requesting help from the DSWD and DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] to assist them with their cases.” 

Bicolana Gabriela called for immediate protection for the victims and their families as a transparent and independent investigation proceeds.

“Provide comprehensive legal, medical, and psychosocial support for the survivors,” the group demanded. “There must be a stronger campaign against gender-based violence at the community level.”

The calls for justice posted on Facebook by RHM have reached Marcos, who on March 31 ordered an investigation into the case after receiving a message from a fellow RHM student of one of the alleged victims in Tinambac. Marcos assured the family that authorities would take immediate action to ensure their safety.

“I am sending policemen to you and your sisters to protect you and to find anyone who has hurt any of you,” Marcos said in the post. “I will make sure that you will be able to continue reading and studying as much as you want.”

Gabriela noted that while government officials have stepped in, the case ultimately exposes how a culture of impunity enables local officials to shield their relatives and evade accountability.

“Hold everyone involved accountable…. Those in power, or their relatives, must not be allowed to spread and sow violence instead of being the community’s protectors,” they said. – Rappler.com