MINORS, WHETHER MALE OR FEMALE, WHO FOR MONEY, PROFIT, OR ANY OTHER
CONSIDERATION OR INFLUENCE OF ANY ADULT, SYNDICATE OR GROUP INDULGE
IN SEXUAL INTERCOURSE, et cetera.
Senator Lina. It is accepted, Mr. President.
The President Pro Tempore. Is there any objection? [Silence] Hearing none, the
amendment is approved.
How about the title, 'Child Prostitution,' shall we change that too?
Senator Angara. Yes, Mr. President, to cover the expanded scope.
The President Pro Tempore. Is that not what we would call probable 'child abuse'?
Senator Angara. Yes, Mr. President.
The President Pro Tempore. Subject to rewording. Is there any objection? [Silence]
Hearing none, the amendment is approved.
Clear from the records of the deliberation is that the original wording of Sec. 5 of
RA 7610 has been expanded so as to cover abuses that are not characterized by
gain, monetary or otherwise. In the case at bar, the abuse suffered by AAA
squarely falls under this expanded scope as there was no allegation of consideration
or profit in exchange for sexual favor. As stated in the Information, petitioner
committed lascivious conduct through the use of "force" and "intimidation."
iii. "Force and intimidation" is subsumed under "coercion and influence"
The term "coercion and influence" as appearing in the law is broad enough to cover
"force and intimidation" as used in the Information. To be sure, Black's Law
Dictionary defines "coercion" as "compulsion; force; duress"[26] while "[undue]
influence" is defined as "persuasion carried to the point of overpowering the
will."[27] On the other hand, "force" refers to "constraining power, compulsion;
strength directed to an end"[28] while jurisprudence defines "intimidation" as
"unlawful coercion; extortion; duress; putting in fear."[29] As can be gleaned, the
terms are used almost synonymously. It is then of no moment that the
terminologies employed by RA 7610 and by the Information are different. And to
dispel any remaining lingering doubt as to their interchangeability, the Court
enunciated in Caballo v. People[30] that:
x x x sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct under the coercion or influence of
any adult exists when there is some form of compulsion equivalent to
intimidation which subdues the free exercise of the offended party's free