(Eagle News) — Two men who were convicted of rape by a Davao court in 2012 have been acquitted by the Supreme Court.
In acquitting Juvy Amarela and Junard Racho, the High Court did not apply what is supposedly the decades-old women’s honor doctrine, under which women are believed not to lie about being raped because “women, especially Filipinos, would not admit that they have been abused unless that abuse had actually happened.”
In a decision made public on Tuesday, the SC said that the victim’s claim against Amarela and Racho “seems unrealistic and beyond human experience.”
For this, the SC said that a medical examination on the victim showed she did not have any physical injuries.
The High Court also noted that the complainant’s testimony about the supposed rape in 2009 was different from her affidavit.
Earlier, both Amarela and Racho were sentenced to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years imprisonment by the Davao court.
The decision was affirmed by the appellate court in 2016.
