DILG man faces sex raps

An employee of the Department of the Interior and Local Government accused a co-employee of sexually harassing her inside the DILG building along EDSA in Quezon City on Tuesday night.

The 38-year-old complainant, a casual employee, filed sexual harassment and grave misconduct charges against Edwin Vitan, of the DILG-Public Information Office, before the resident Ombudsman yesterday morning.

The complainant said the sexual harassment took place at around 6 p.m. inside their office after most of their colleagues had gone home. The woman recalled she was using a computer when Vitan arrived and told her that he would use the computer and started pressing his sexual organ against her right arm.

When she stood up to give way, Vitan allegedly mashed her genitals, prompting her to shout and catch the attention of her husband who had arrived to fetch her.

The complainant said Vitan used to take advantage of her since she started working at the DILG in March, but she kept everything to herself out of fear.

Vitan denied the allegations, saying he never had made any sexual advances on the complainant. "All of my colleagues in our department can attest to the fact that I have not taken advantage of her," he said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe