MANILA—Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Thursday said he would not support any measure legalizing abortion, even for rape victims, saying every life would be respected should he win the presidency in this year's elections.

"When there is life already, nobody should take it away kasi pinagkaloob ng Diyos 'yun (because God gave that)," Domagoso said in an interview with Boy Abunda, part of a series of conversations with presidential aspirants.

" 'Yung bata na 'yun walang kakayanan ipagtanggol ang sarili niya . . . It may have a bad effect on society, sa katatayuan ng ina, sa katatayuan ng bata but life is life."

(The child has no capacity to defend himself or herself . . . It may have a bad effect on the societal status of the mother, on the status of the child but life is life.)

The government can instead provide other interventions that would help rape victims move forward with their life without harming their child, Domagoso said.

"Masaklap ’yun. Naaawa ako sa ganoong sitwasyon pero hindi ako Diyos para kumuha ng buhay ng tao," he said.

(That's hard. I pity women who are in those situations but I am not God who can just take peoples' lives.)

"Mayroon akong kalungkutan sa buhay pero hindi ako puwede mamuhay na lang sa nakaraan para sa aking kinabukasan. Life must go on," he said.

(I may have been depressed in life but I cannot just live in the past before I can move forward towards my future. Life must go on.)

Last year, the Philippine Congress ratified a bill raising the age for statutory rape to 16 after the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children study, 1 out of every 5 children aged 13 to 17 reported sexual violence “while one in 25 (4.8%) of all respondents experienced forced consummated sex during childhood.”

The study also showed that perpetrators were often family members and that more boys or 22.1 percent than girls or 15.9 percent reported experiencing sexual violence.

• House ratifies bill raising age for statutory rape
• Are you guilty of perpetuating rape culture? Here's what you can change