MANILA, Philippines — Reports of rape and sexual abuse of women in police or protective custody continued in the Philippines, with many of the cases linked to police’s anti-narcotic operations, the US State Department said in its latest global rights report. In its 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released this week, the US State Department said the Center for Women’s Resources reported eight cases of rape involving 16 police officers from January 2017 to July 2018. “The Center noted that many of the rapes occurred in connection with police antidrug operations,” the report read in part. Last year, a Manila cop grabbed the headlines after he was accused of raping a 15-year-old daughter of drug suspects. Valencia’s arrest came amid recent opinion polls showing growing distrust of the police force and unease with their conduct of President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, which has killed thousands of mostly urban, poor Filipinos.

Source: Philippine Star March 16, 2019 06:45 UTC