Religious "disciple" faces abuse charges

CEBU, Philippines - For allegedly touching the private parts of two minors and a woman, a “disciple” of a religious group face charges before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Tudela Chief of Police Edward Sanchez filed three complaints a man of legal age for acts of lasciviousness in relation to Republic Act 7610 known as Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the victims for being minors and the respondent, who is married and a resident of Barangay Northern Poblacion, Tudela, pending his comment.

In her sworn statement, a 14 year-old girl from Barangay Calmante, Tudela, Cebu, accused the respondent of touching her private part while she was sleeping inside the man’s house with her brother sometime in 2007.

She said at about 8:00 p.m. while she was lying on a bed, the respondent approached her and asked if her feet was still aching. She said yes so the respondent offered to massage her feet. But she was surprised when his hands reached her waist and private parts. The next day, she told her brother about it.

Another victim, a 12-year old girl from Sitio Cubi, Barangay Calmante, stated that when she was just nine years old she also experienced abuse from the respondent.

“I was playing together with my choir friends, when suddenly I felt pain on my wrist. The respondent offered to massage my wrist. I gave all my respect to him and he started to massage my left wrist and to my surprise, his hand was already touching my breasts,” the girl stated in her sworn affidavit.

She said she asked the respondent to stop. Since then, she said, she evaded the respondent whenever they have choir practice. She added that she confided to her mother after hearing rumors that the respondent did the same thing to her choir friends.

Another victim, a 25-year-old, said that sometime in 2004, she was inside the office of a religious organization with their trainor and some members of the choir practicing for the annual fiesta of San Francisco.

She said that while having practice she felt pain on her left breast, prompting her to ask the help of other choir members. She was taken to the house near the religious group’s office where the respondent offered to “massage her breast.”

“A few minutes after the working committee members went out of the house, the respondent inserted his hand inside my blouse then unlocked the hook of my bra and when my bra was already loose, he touched the left side of my breast many times,” read the girl’s affidavit.

The 25-year old said she asked the respondent to stop. — (FREEMAN)