Resort owner, 10-year old daughter face perjury for 'false statements'

Criminal charges for perjury were filed before the Regional Trial Court yesterday against a woman and her 10-year old daughter for allegedly issuing false statements to avoid liability for the drowning of a child.

Lysil Marigomen and her daughter are the owners of the Victoria Hard Rock Resort in Victoria, San Remigio town, Cebu, where 11-year-old Marveth Tipontipon drowned last year.

As a result, policemen filed murder charges against resort guest Rodrigo Mayol before the court in Bogo town due to the statements executed by the mother and daughter that they saw him with Tipontipon before she drowned.

But judge Dante Manreal of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Bogo dismissed the complaint against Mayol for lack of sufficient evidence.

Mayol retaliated by filing a case for perjury against the mother and daughter whom he accused of issuing false statements to avoid liability for Tipontipon's death.

It was learned that the parents of Tipontipon filed a civil case against the resort owners in connection with the death of the child.

The case against the respondents was originally filed before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities but since it involves a minor it was referred to the RTC yesterday.

Tipontipon was among the guests of the resort on April 25, 2004 but he was reported missing and later her body was found at the bottom of a swimming pool for adults.

In her affidavit, Marigomen said before the child was reported missing, she saw her standing by the poolside beside Mayol.

But Mayol denied it saying he never went to the poolside that time. Marigomen's daughter also said she saw Mayol wearing wet long pants and even asked her "Nakakita ka'g bata day?" - Rene U. Borromeo