THE Davao City Prosecution Office has recommended the filing of charges against a man for bringing a 13-year-old girl inside a motel room within the city.
Prosecutor Shahruddin Roberto Sencio, in a resolution dated November 23, 2016, found probable cause to indict Jhon Carlos Tagalog for commiting other forms of abuse under the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act or R.A. 7610.
The resolution read that according to the thirteen year old complainant, (name withheld to protect her dignity) she and the respondent became officially boyfriend and girlfriend sometime in October 2, 2016.
Since then, her mother would scold her every time she goes out with her friends.
At a young age, the complainant is already drinking liquor and hanging out with her friends and all of them are members of a peer group.
The 13-year-old complainant decided leave home last November 12, 2016 and she went to her group's hangout place and drank with them.
She allegedly informed Jhon that she left home and is never coming back.
She, in the meantime, stayed at the boarding house of her 17-year-old friend and one Yumi, a gay person.
Last November 18, around 3 a.m., the complainant together with her friends 16, and 17 years old and Tagalog agreed to sleep in a motel.
The group checked in at Larous Inn located along Ilustre Street, Davao City.
Around 8 a.m., her 16-year-old companion left while her 17- year-old friend also left around 2 p.m.
Later the mother of the complainant, arrived bringing with her police officers, barangay workers and social workers as the mother of the complainant was informed the police the whereabouts of her daughter this after they were informed by a concerned citizen.
This led to the arrest of Tagalog.
Sencio, in the resolution, found the arrest was valid as he found a probable cause to indict him for the violation of Section 10 of R.A 7610.
He said that the complaint, in a first glance, is violative of Section 10 (a) of R.A. 7610, by keeping in his company a minor in a motel, the requirement under the provision, however, is that the minor must be 12 years old or the age gap of the minor and the adult must be at least 10 years or more.
This does not fall under such case but Sencio said that there is obviously something wrong when a 21-year-old man would have relationship with a 13 year old girl.
"The adult man would then support the girl in her decision of leaving the safety of her home by not advising her to go home. Worse, he would check in a motel with the minor girl even as there is no allegation of any sexual activity and even if there are other persons who came along as even minors," he said.
"The respondent's act in checking in a motel with a minor whom he knew ran away from home, that is submitted, is an act of child abuse and or exploitation which is prejudicial to the child's development, and thus the recommendation of indictment," Sencio added.