Man arrested for molesting 3-yr-old daughter

CEBU, Philippines - A three-year-old girl was allegedly molested by his father, who policemen arrested, in Barangay Polo, Alcantara southwestern Cebu.

The incident reportedly happened several times but it was only recently when the 22-year-old mother learned about it which prompted her to seek police assistance.

Insp. James Conaco, Alcantara police chief, said the mother arrived at the police station at 4:00 in the afternoon telling them that her 30-year-old live-in partner molested their daughter.

 Police arrested the suspect at a cockfighting arena in Barangay Palanas later in the afternoon.

The child told her mother that she was fingered by the suspect inside the comfort room when she urinated at around 3:00p.m.

"Nahibung man gud ang inahan nga dugay nigawas ang bata sa CR unya dihang nigawas naghilak na," Conaco said. (The mother wondered why it took long for the child to come out of the comfort room and when she did, she was already crying.)

When the mother asked the child what happened to her, the child pointed at her genitalia and said it hurt.

Conaco disclosed that the mother works as a house helper of a family in Moalboal and every time she was away, her live-in partner took the chance to molest their daughter.

Reports said that the girl's grandmother had noticed the child's unusual behavior.

"Naay higayon nga mag-sige ug hilak ang bata nga naay abnormality sa lihok," Conaco said in a phone interview. (The child was acting strange and would keep on crying.)

The victim was taken to the Municipal Health Center and was later endorsed to the pink room of the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for further medical examinations.

According to the attending physician at the MHC, Conaco said, the victim's genitalia was swollen and had markings of a finger-like object in her labia majora.

For his part, the suspect denied the allegations and pleaded with his common-law wife for amicable settlement but she pursued in filing the case.

Police filed yesterday morning a case for rape in relation to RA 7610 or Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.  (FREEMAN)