AN EIGHTEEN-year-old boy was assaulted by a group of at least 11 young individuals, a few weeks after an incident where he defended his mother from their verbal taunts.
The victim was reportedly with a classmate around 11:30 p.m. along Pakpakan Road, Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, when the group suddenly attacked him.
The teenager sustained multiple injuries, including bruises to his mouth, knee, hip and head. He reported feeling dizzy and unwell after the attack.
The family contacted local authorities on Tuesday, Aug. 5, and confirmed their intent to pursue legal action against the group.
The victim’s mother Kristine (real name withheld) said the assault followed a prior encounter her son had with the group last July when she refused to give the young men free soup in the eatery where she works.
Kristine claimed the group cursed at her, prompting her son to confront them.
Basak’s Gender and Development focal person, Joan Bolondro, said Basak Barangay Captain Jasmine Marie Chan will provide assistance for the victim’s medical needs.
She said two minors, aged 14 and 16, from Barangay Basak have been apprehended in connection with the assault.
In an interview, the 16-year-old suspect admitted he was present during the attack, but denied involvement. He claimed he only carried a knife that he found near a chapel.
Meanwhile, the 14-year-old suspect, who was just recently released from a homecare facility last Aug. 1 for stealing, said he was only an “observer.”
The initial suspects will be placed under homecare pending guardian approval, while authorities continue to track down the other members of the group.
In another incident still in Barangay Basak, three minors, aged 12-13, were placed in homecare after physically assaulting another 13-year-old last Aug. 2 over a love triangle dispute.
The incident, captured on a phone camera, caught the attention of the barangay captain who then ordered that the minors be placed in the homecare facility for disciplinary action. / DPC