Councilor Alfred Vargas raises points on denied Mot. for Recon. of complaint

QC Councilor Alfred Vargas

He may be saddened over the denial of the Motion for Reconsideration his family filed regarding the alleged bullying of one of their members but Quezon City Councilor Alfred Vargas says they "continue to hold our heads high" even as they vow to "seek justice for our son until the very end."

In a statement posted online, Alfred said the decision by fhe court hurts "dahil tila binalewala pa rin ang mga matitibay na ebidensyang inihain namin."

"Contrary to what the ruling claims, we did not rely on mere speculation. We presented clear, categorical, and positive testimonies from multiple independent eyewitnesses..." the public servant argued.

Alfred believes the Office of the City Prosecutor applied "the wrong framework" to dismiss their complaint. 

"This is not a simple case of school playground bullying governed by the administrative rules of RA 10627. The incident happened in a public, competitive swimming event. We filed a criminal complaint under Republic Act No. 7610 (Child Abuse Law)," wrote he.

Alfred lamented: "Maling-mali na idahilan na dahil 'single incident' lang at walang napatunayang 'criminal intent' ang mga magulang ay idi-dismis na ang kaso. Under RA 7610, child abuse covers psychological and emotional maltreatment 'whether habitual or not,'"

He added: "The law protects children from conditions prejudicial to their development. By demanding strict proof of the respondents' subjective intent to degrade our son, the resolution completely turned a blind eye to the parents' legal duty of supervision and their complacency in tolerating the harmful behavior of their child."

The councilor said they are fighting "for all the victims of bullying who suffer in silence, and for all the parents who choose to stand up and protect their children's dignity."

"Kung ang mga matitibay na ebidensya at medikal na diagnosis na katulad ng sa anak namin ay madaling ibasura sa preliminary investigation pa lang, anong mensahe ang ibinibigay natin sa lipunan? Na okay lang i-trivialize ang trauma ng isang bata?" Alfred pointed out.

He was referring to the official Psychiatric Evaluation Report from St. Luke’s Medical Center they submitted, diagnosing their son with Adjustment Disorder after the swimming incifdent.

In the end, Alfred reiterated their family's resolve, punctuated by the hashtag "#NoToBullying."

"We will not back down. We will continue to fight for what is right and exhaust all available legal remedies, including elevating this matter to the Department of Justice. May tiwala pa rin kami sa ating justice system, at lalong-lalo na sa katotohanan ng aming ipinaglalaban."