Man faces raps for bullying 9-year-old boy

A 32-year-old man was charged before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) yesterday for allegedly manhandling and tormenting a nine-year-old boy in Tondo, Manila.

Roderick Sugui, alias Eric Baho, was charged with violation of Section 10 (a), Article 6 of Republic Act 7610, the anti-child abuse law, by Assistant City Prosecutor Winne Edad, who set bail at P80,000.

Sugui was arrested last Nov. 4 by Raxabago-Tondo police officers.

His mother accompanied the victim, a grade three pupil at the Yangco Elementary School, to the police station. He told investigators that Sugui and his group stopped him on the street one morning when he went out on an errand.

The boy said Sugui called him cross-eyed, a “mongoloid,” and crazy. When he tried to walk past Sugui’s group, the suspect and one of his companions grabbed him and pulled down his shorts.

The boy said as he struggled to keep his shorts on, Sugui hit him thrice on the head and kicked his thigh.       – Sandy Araneta