A cat sustained burns on the neck after a man threw hot water at it in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City. | JoJames JoCor Cornejo via Pegeen Maisie Sararaña
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 23-year-old man ended up in jail after he was arrested for allegedly throwing hot water to a dog and a cat, scalding parts of both animals’ skin.
Police Major Jonathan Taneo, Mambaling Police Station chief, said that they arrested Jason Fuentes at past 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Teves Compound in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
Taneo said that Fuentes was detained at the police station’s detention cell pending the filing of charges.
He said that they would file on Monday, Feb. 20, a complaint against Fuentes for violation of Republic Act 8485 or the Animal Cruelty Act.
He also said that the penalty for violation of the Animal Cruelty Act might include serving a year in jail.
Initial investigation showed that police responded and apprehended Fuentes after the owner of the dog, Gina Lusido, went to the police station to report the incident.
Fuentes, for his part, allegedly told police that he did the act that he was accused of.
He also told police that he was irritated by the dog running around in the compound so he allegedly threw hot water on the animal to make it stop.
He said that he got the hot water from a water dispenser there.
Fuentes also said that the dog was not particularly bothering him, but it was just running around in the compound, which irritated him.
The dog, which was not a local dog breed, was scalded by the hot water which landed on its neck.
“Ang nahitabo ana, ang tag-iya ana is si Gina. Karon, si Gina naay caretaker sa taxi-han. Then iya na gidala [caretaker] ang iro didto. Kaning suspetsado, iyang papa driver og taxi nga ara magparkingan sa taxihan,” Taneo said.
(What happened was that the owner is Gina. Now, Gina has a caretaker of a spot at the parking area in the compound. The caretaker brought the dog with her. The suspect, his father is a taxi driver who parks there.)
Teves Compound is used as a parking space for taxi drivers where they can rest and eat.
Fuentes was in the area to visit his father, who would usually take his break and park his taxi there.
Police Major Taneo said that he believed that Fuentes might have a habit of being cruel to animals because this was allegedly not the first time that he threw hot water at an animal in the compound.
Taneo said that Fuentes was allegedly seen throwing hot water to a stray cat a week earlier.
According to witnesses, the stray cat was also scalded by the hot water on the neck area.
“So ang ila kay basin namugaw lang og iring. Wala ra sila initially unya karon, aside sa naa siyay gibubuan nga iring, nawala ang balahibo sa liog. Karon ang iro, nakit-an niya, iyang gibu-buan og init tubig maong gireklamo na siya sa tag-iya sa iro,” Taneo said.
(They thought at that time that he [Fuentes] at that time was just trying to shoo away the cat. Initially, they did not mind it, when he threw hot water at the cat, which lost its hair in the neck area. But now, after they saw him throwing hot water at the dog, so the owner of the dog filed a complaint against him [Fuentes].)
Taneo also said that the owner already brought the dog to the veterinarian, who treated the dog’s burns.
The police officer said that they were checking if Fuentes also did the same thing to animals in Toledo City, where he hailed from.
Fuentes was temporarily staying in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
The police officer also reminded the public that animal cruelty was a criminal act, and anyone proven to be responsible for doing such an act could end up in jail.
“Maayo nga mainform sila nga naa tay balaod against ana which is ang RA 8485 nga pwede sila mapriso ana. Remind lang nato sila ana nga dili magbuhat og anything nga cruel sa bisag unsa nga klase nga animal sa palibot,” Taneo said.
(They should be informed that we have a law against that, which is RA 8485 and they can be imprisoned for doing that act. We will just remind the public that they should not do those acts to whatever kind of animals in our surroundings.)
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