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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Charges of child abuse were filed against a barangay (village) captain who stands accused of allegedly mauling a 14-year old girl.
The victim?s mother said she and her daughter filed the charges against barangay Captain Alberto Lariosa before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor?s Office on Monday.
She said they also plan to file administrative charges against Lariosa, a resident of Barangay Vito in the town of Minglanilla, southern Cebu, with the Office of the Ombudsman.
?We want him out of office,? she said.
Jessa (real name withheld) accused the barangay captain of allegedly grabbing her by the arm and dragging her on the street last Friday.
She said all their relatives regretted having voted for Lariosa during last year?s election.
Jessa claimed that she and her friends were at their neighbor?s house about 11 p.m. when they saw Lariosa riding a motorcycle and stopped in front of the bench they were sitting on.
Lariosa, whom witnesses say was drunk at that time, allegedly pulled Jessa?s arm, causing the girl to nearly fall to the ground.
She broke free from the barangay captain?s grip but fell to the ground after Lariosa allegedly slapped her.
Lariosa was about to hit Jessa again when the victim?s friend intervened, the complaint said.
The witnesses added that Lariosa pulled out a gun from his waist and cocked it, prompting everyone to scamper away.
Only the timely arrival of Lariosa?s wife calmed him down.
Lariosa earlier denied pulling out a gun. He said he saw Jessa riding a motorcycle in a zigzag motion, apparently drunk.
He tried to arrest her but her friends defended her.
Jessa?s mother said the incident, which happened last Friday, left her daughter traumatized.
The girl is easily brought to tears at the mere mention of the incident.
According to the psychological evaluation from of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, the girl had acute stress, a common reaction of children in response to a violent incident.
