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[av_heading heading=’‘Military rape threat’ claims ‘incredulous’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Wednesday, June 28, 2017
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MANILA – Malacañang dismissed claims that government troops threatened to rape women who refused to leave the war-torn Marawi City.
“We find it incredulous statements accusing our men in uniform of alleged rape threats on Marawi women,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said on Tuesday quoting, a statement from the Department of National Defense.
Abella said the alleged threats have been made “by the enemy” to elicit sympathy from the people of Marawi and for the government to fail in its mission.
“Let us not be fooled by such dubious claims,” he added.
The Defense department also urged Filipinos to “gain more confidence and pride in our government forces.”
“Our troops are risking their lives to rescue trapped civilians and liberate Marawi from the hands of [terrorists],” they said.
Displaced women in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur claimed soldiers threatened to rape them if they did not leave Marawi, said Rep. Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela Women’s Party.
“These are alarming accounts which prove that the martial law and President’s rape remarks have actually emboldened the military to dangle rape threats against women in Marawi City,” Brosas said. “We fear that there are actual victims of rape, and we encourage them to speak out and seek justice.”
She filed House Resolution No. 1086 seeking to investigate the plight of displaced civilians in the besieged Lanao del Sur capital./PN
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