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Alfred Vargas and wife file criminal case against parents of child's bully: 'This is where it stops'
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Taking a firm stand against the culture of silence in bullying, Quezon City Councilor Alfred Vargas and his wife, Yasmine, filed a criminal complaint on Monday against the parents of a minor who allegedly bullied and abused their son during swimming activities.
The complaint, filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila, cites respondents Juvelle Bacosa and Robert Vincent Sy for violation of Section 10(a) of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
The legal action stems from a pattern of conduct where the respondents' minor child repeatedly pushed and held the Vargases' son underwater during swimming training sessions.
These bullying incidents, by way of drowning the Vargas couple's child, occurred several times despite efforts, reminders and appeals made by the Vargases to the parents of the bully to tell their child to stop and to manage the minor's conduct.
“Mayroon pa ngang ginawa yung bully na hindi talaga appropriate at sobrang sakit sa kalooban namin. Kinadyot niya yung anak ko sa malaswang paraan at nung nakita ng misis ko at sinabi sa nanay, tinawanan pa ng nanay at sinabi, 'He's just dancing!',” Vargas said.
“Every time we go to the parents to try to resolve these issues, we were either dismissed or gaslighted,” he added.
The situation reached a breaking point during a swimming competition at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex last February.
In the event, Vargas and several other people personally witnessed the minor pushing his child at the side area of the pool during warm-up period, almost injuring his son right before the competition.
After the near-injury, two other friends of the bully laughed at his son as he was left on the ground, causing the child severe fear and emotional distress.
Vargas further recounted how the mother of the bully shrugged off the incident and pretended that nothing happened when he brought the matter to her attention.
Adding insult to injury, the mother started posting misrepresented content online and never stopped.
“Bilang ama, may isang bagay na hindi mo kayang tiisin: ang makita ang anak mo na inaapi,” Vargas said in a statement.
“The only regret we have is we didn't do it sooner,” he added.
“Ilan lang ang mga ito sa marami pang ginawa sa anak ko. Hindi ito simpleng 'away ng bata.' Hindi ito bagay na dapat palampasin,” he added.
In the complaint, the Vargas couple emphasized that the respondents failed in their legal duty under the Family Code to supervise and discipline their child.
Despite having actual knowledge of prior similar incidents that occurred during swimming sessions, the parents allegedly failed to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of the dangerous behavior.
This negligence enabled acts prejudicial to the Vargas child's welfare, which constitutes child abuse under Section 10(a) of RA 7610. The law penalizes acts that cause psychological or emotional suffering, even in the absence of physical injury, as supported by established jurisprudence.
“Bullying is not normal. It is not harmless. It is not acceptable. Maaari sanang maiwasan ang insidente na ito kung hindi napabayaan ang bata ng magulang. Kaya ngayon, pinili naming lumaban. Hindi para maghiganti kundi para manindigan para sa anak ko at para sa lahat ng batang natatakot magsalita,” Vargas said.
A staunch advocate for child protection, Vargas has previously urged the Quezon City Council to discuss parental accountability in bullying cases. He has also expressed support for national measures to strengthen anti-bullying policies and reporting systems in schools.
By filing this case, the lawmaker hopes to serve as an example for families who suffer in silence.
“Kung ikaw ay naging biktima ng bullying, o magulang na dumaan dito, alam kong hindi ito madali. Pero hindi tayo pwedeng manatiling tahimik. This is where it stops,” Vargas said.
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