A father was arrested after a viral video showed him hitting his 6-year-old daughter with a stick at the Bacolod City Public Plaza.
The video, posted by a concerned citizen on May 19, drew public outrage online and reached the attention of Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
BCPO Director Police Col. Eugene Rebadomia said the police immediately investigated, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
The child was rescued by the Department of Social Services and Development and is now under its custody.
Rebadomia said the father appeared to be mentally unstable and was believed to have inhaled solvent.
Police also found bruises on the child’s body, raising the possibility that the incident was not the first time she was allegedly harmed.
Authorities said the father and child had a house but had been staying at the plaza, where the suspect worked as a parking barker in the area.
Authorities also discovered that the child had no available records, including a birth certificate, while under the care of her father.
Gasataya condemned the incident and said violence against children has no place in the city.
During his confrontation with the suspect, Gasataya said that no circumstance can ever justify hurting a child.
“No matter how difficult or disobedient your child may be, it will never be a reason to hurt them,” the mayor, adding that the father will face the consequences of his actions.
Anjanette Servano, DSSD Anti-Mendicancy Program Coordinator, said the child’s maternal grandmother filed a case before the Office of the City Prosecutor on Wednesday against the father for violation of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
The rescued child is currently under the temporary custody and care of the DSSD while legal proceedings are ongoing. She is also expected to undergo psychosocial intervention and medical examination.
Bacolod City Councilor Celia Flor said “there should be zero tolerance for all forms of abuse, especially against women and children.”
She thanked the individual who uploaded the video online and the concerned Bacolodnons who called out the abusive behavior.
“We cannot say that what happened at the plaza was an isolated case, but we are grateful to the person who recorded the video and spoke out against the father’s abusive actions,” Flor said.
Along with the mayor, she urged the public to report similar cases of abuse, including online sexual abuse against minors, through the Bacolod SAFE Hotline: TNT: 0909-640-7382 Globe: 0926-751-4615.
The Bacolod SAFE (Support and Action for Families in Emergency) Hotline, established through an executive order by the mayor, serves as a 24/7 reporting and response hotline for cases involving online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), violence, abuse, child protection, and other social welfare concerns in the city.*
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