Kabataan Party said it would assist its member who complained of rape by a fellow member in seeking redress in court.
In a statement, the youth party acknowledged knowledge of the complaint by a member it identified as Maria Kara in the past weeks and said it is close to finalizing its investigation on the matter.
In a series of posts on Facebook, the aggrieved reported being raped by a fellow member, asking the party to be more stringent in its recruitment processes.
“Kabataan Party-List National, can you ensure that the proper recruitment of members and proper consolidation with older members [be] a priority, instead of being so obsessed with recruitment?” she wrote.
“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 revealed.
Mara Kara added that the latest attack last April 15 was the third time it happened since 2023.
“It took a week before they gave me help for mental health. They did not attend to the medicine prescribed to me by the psychiatrist. So nothing happened,” she further complained.
Kabataan, in a statement by its president Julius Cantiga, acknowledged their efforts had been “insufficient.”
“We understand that our efforts though have not been sufficient so far and it has led to her disillusionment in the organization itself,” Cantiga said.
The group said the alleged attacker was confronted and eventually placed under preventive suspension.
Kabataan also clarified that the person in question is an ordinary member and not a part of the party’s national executive committee.
“Up until two days ago, through other national officers, we have been in constant communication and coordination with the aggrieved to provide updates on the case and other forms of support needed,” Cantiga said.
Kabataan said it remains committed to its policies in addressing incidents of gender-based violence as written in the party’s constitution and bylaws.
It also asked Mara Kara to accept its offer of support in the possible filing of legal charges against the accused “for remedies beyond the authority of the organization.” # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
