CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 19-year-old construction worker in Naga City landed in jail after, in a fit of rage, he punched a 7-year-old boy in the stomach, choked the kid, lifted him and pinned the boy with his face to the fence in Purok Onion, Barangay South Poblacion in Naga City in southern Cebu.
The attack on the boy, who is the assailant’s neighbor, happened on the evening of Friday of February 26.
Daniel Echavez was arrested by the policemen in Naga City later that night and was detained at the Naga City Police Station, said Police Corporal Richelle Munalim of Naga Police Station Women and Children Protection Desk, in a phone interview on Saturday, February 27.
Munalim said that Echavez allegedly attacked the boy because the latter had no manners.
“Way batasan ang bata (The boy had no manners),” Echavez told Munalin during the investigation.
Echavez, however, did not explain why he considered the boy as having no manners.
The investigation showed that the incident happened at past 6 p.m. in the area between the houses of the victim and assailant.
Munalim said that the Echavez was passing time in the area when the boy, who was playing nearby, approached him.
A few minutes later, an angry Echavez punched then attacked the boy.
After the boy got away from Echavez, he told what happened to him to his father, who in turn, brought the kid to the police station to report the attack on the boy.
They later brought the boy to a doctor for a checkup.
Munalim, however, said that the minor only suffered bruises and was okay.
The parents also told Munalin that they would pursue the filing of charges against Echavez on Monday, March 1.
Echavez would be facing a charge of physical injury in relation to R.A. 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
/dbs