Photo courtesy of Alfred Vargas/Facebook
Quezon City Councilor Alfred Vargas and his wife Yasmine filed a criminal complaint on Monday against the parents of a minor accused of repeatedly bullying their child during swimming training sessions.
The complaint was lodged before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila, citing violations of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
The couple said the case stemmed from repeated incidents in which the other child allegedly pushed and held their son underwater during practice sessions, despite earlier appeals to stop the behavior.
They said the situation escalated during a swimming event at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, where they claimed the same pattern of conduct was again observed.
Vargas said previous attempts to raise the issue with the other child’s parents were unsuccessful, alleging that concerns were dismissed or downplayed.
He also recounted further incidents that he said caused emotional distress to his son, stressing that the matter had gone beyond normal childhood conflicts.
The complaint stated that the parents of the other child failed in their duty to supervise and discipline, allowing repeated harmful behavior that allegedly caused psychological harm.
Vargas said the filing of the case was intended to hold parents accountable and to discourage similar incidents, stressing that the matter should not be ignored or normalized.