Monday, July 21, 2003
13-year-old girl sues seaman-pa
A CRIMINAL case for child abuse was filed with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Cebu against a seaman who allegedly failed to support his 13-year-old daughter.
Nene (name withheld as she is a minor), of Poblacion, Naga, Cebu, alleged that her father Manuel Lapitan Jr. neglected her when her parents parted ways in November 2000.
She said her father, being a seaman, earns about P80,000 a month.
Huge income
Despite his huge income, Lapitan “stubbornly refused and unjustifiably failed” to give support to her, after repeated demands.
On the other hand, Lapitan gives money to his mother, Nene’s grandmother, regularly.
Lapitan, in his reply, submitted his pay slips and a hold-departure order to prove that his income is not enough to support her.
However, Associate Prosecution Attorney Jasmin Despi, of the Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor, ruled that she found enough evidence against Lapitan to file the child abuse complaint.
Full-blown trial
She said the weight and bearing of the contradictory evidence, such as the pay slips for four months and the hold-departure order may be appreciated in a full-blown trial with the RTC.
Under the law, child abuse refers to the infliction of physical or psychological injury, cruelty to, or neglect, sexual abuse or exploitation of a child.
Neglect covers the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, basic education or medical care, so as to endanger the physical, mental social and emotional growth and development of the child. GN
(July 21, 2003 issue)
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