Woman accuses Kabataan member of rape; party-list says probe underway
Calling the May 12 elections a “mockery of the democratic process,” youths belonging to the Kabataan party-list and other progressive groups held a brief protest at the Freedom Park in Davao City. (Contributed photo by ANAKBAYAN SMR)
Updated 1:36 a.m., June 4, 2025
MANILA, Philippines — A woman activist has called out the Kabataan party-list for allegedly ignoring her claims that some of its leaders and members raped her.
She also urged the group to tighten its recruitment and internal protocols to better safeguard its members.
The woman, whose identity is being withheld, posted a series of entries on Facebook starting Saturday, accusing Kabataan of failing to address her situation after incidents of sexual abuse were allegedly committed against her by people affiliated with the group.
One of the alleged perpetrators, she said, holds a leadership role in the organization’s national office.
The Kabataan party-list said it has begun an internal investigation and clarified that only one person connected to the organization is facing an allegation.
“Based on the ongoing internal investigation proceedings, we would like to clarify that only one individual affiliated with the Party-list has been accused — and he is a fellow member deputized to manage a secretariat committee, not a national officer or leader. According to the aggrieved party herself, none of the others implicated are connected with the Party-list,” the group said in a statement.
In a message to 好色先生TV, the woman said one of the abuses happened April 15, 2025. She did not elaborate how it occurred but claimed that the incident could have been avoided if the group had segregated living quarters for men and women.
“Kabataan Party-List National, can you ensure that the proper recruitment of members and proper consolidation with older members [will be] a priority, instead of being so obsessed with recruitment?” she wrote in one of her posts.
“If there were just a separate accommodation for men and women, supervision and security protocols inside the shared living spaces for members, then, the perverse actions against me could have been prevented,” she said.
The woman claimed the group has not taken her allegations seriously and criticized Kabataan for allegedly allowing such incidents while positioning itself as a critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his family.
“Are you serious about taking up what happened to me in your ranks? This is the third sexual abuse that happened before you even gave mental health support,” she said.
“Then, you did not even strive to give the primary help that a victim needs, like getting her away from the crime scene,” she added.
“You have no right to pretend to be opposing the Dutertes when you are just as gross as they are. Your politics and practice stink,” she said.
In another post, the woman claimed that a Kabataan official urged her to keep campaigning for the group shortly after the abuse.
“Chief Membership Deputy Officer of Kabataan party-list told me a week after I was raped by our colleague: ‘Isn’t that better than being idle?’” she quoted the official as saying.
“But during that time, the incident was still so fresh to me. I was too distraught. I was too restless and I was shaking even in my sleep,” she said.
On Monday, the woman also alleged that the April incident was not the first. From 2023 to 2025, she said, three different youth leaders from the group sexually abused her. She said she was not given medical assistance, and was promised mental health support, but this did not materialize.
“Even if what happened was devastating, I continued to work. But it was not just two fellow workers who would shout at me when they were angry. They would even curse me and threaten to hit me,” she said.
“This happened repeatedly. I’ve cried over this several times, and I felt wrecked,” the woman said.
She is now appealing to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and to the Senate to intervene. She believes other women have also been victims of abuse within quarters shared by progressive groups.
The Kabataan party-list said it has launched an internal investigation.
“We would also like to highlight that since receiving the report several weeks ago, the party-list has already initiated internal action. The accused, who is not part of the National Executive Committee, was placed under preventive suspension pending the results of a formal investigation,” the group said.
“Mental health support was extended to the aggrieved, a formal disciplinary complaint was pursued, and legal remedies were discussed in coordination with her,” it added.
According to the Kabataan party-list group, the measures were initiated even before the matter became public.
“While we acknowledge that more could have been done, it is misleading and unjust to portray our national leadership as perpetrators. We remain committed to seeing the process through and ensuring accountability,” it said. /apl/dm/abb
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[Editor’s Note: This story has been retitled and revised to clarify that the incidents cited are allegations and have not been proven in court.]
