Palawan mayor, wife guilty of child abuse
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—A Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Palawan has found Culion Mayor Cesar de Vera and his wife Maria Virginia, who also once served as the town’s chief executive, guilty of child abuse in violation of Section 10(a) of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
Acting Presiding Judge Ryan Hartzell Balisacan of the Coron Regional Trial Court Branch 163, in a ruling dated Oct. 24, sentenced the couple to four to six years of imprisonment and ordered them to pay a P15,000 fine and P40,000 for moral and exemplary damages to the family of the complainant.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the parents of a male minor who accused the De Veras of physical abuse at the Culion Municipal Police Station in June 2018. The complainants’ child was 15 years old at the time.
In 2023, the couple pleaded not guilty, after which a trial ensued, with the prosecution presenting the victim, his mother and six other witnesses.
The victim recalled that he and his friends, who were brought to the station by police officers, were “mauled inside the Culion police station.”
He also stated that he was initially surprised to learn that he was among those summoned by police at the mayor’s instruction.
The boy told his mother that he and his friends voluntarily went to the Culion police station at around 2 p.m. on the day of the incident.
At the station, the De Veras allegedly conspired to “physically abuse him, slapping and punching him and pulling his hair,” actions that he said placed him in a situation “prejudicial” to his development and well-being.
Denial
Meanwhile, Mayor De Vera has continuously denied the accusations.
In a statement, he said the case stemmed not from the alleged physical abuse, which they vehemently denied, but from an alleged sexual abuse and attempted rape incident involving their daughter seven years ago.
“The root of this case is not the assault that we vehemently deny, but the attempted defilement and humiliation of our minor daughter seven years ago—a victim of a planned rape, passing around and dumping in the mangroves,” De Vera said in Filipino.
The mayor said that while they respected the RTC’s decision, they would elevate the case to the Court of Appeals.
“We believe that justice and truth will prevail. This is the process according to law,” De Vera said.
He added: “In a world full of dangers, only a parent’s love and protection will prevail and bring peace of mind; it is a parent’s right to defend their child against any form of abuse and immorality.”
