MANDAUE CITY WORKER FACES ABUSE RAPS FOR MOLESTING KIDS IN REHAB

A Mandaue City Government employee was dismissed for molesting seven male minors at the Hope of Mandaue Enhanced (Home) Children’s Center in Sitio Dunggu-an, Barangay Basak. Marlon Cabiging, 38, of Barangay Jagobiao, was charged with rape, acts of lasciviousness and violations of RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. Jessie Perez, officer of the City Social Welfare Services CSWS), said the incidents happened inside the City-run shelter for abused children. The Mandaue City Government had closely worked with the city police’s Women and Children Protection Desk in filing the complaints before the city prosecutor. CSWS’s Perez said Cabiging was immediately pulled out from the center following reports that he allegedly molested the children.

A job-order employee of the Mandaue City Government was dismissed from service for allegedly molesting seven boys who are staying at the Hope of Mandaue Enhanced (Home) Children’s Center in Sitio Dunggo-an, Barangay Basak.

Marlon Cabiging, 38, a resident of Barangay Jagobiao in Mandaue, was charged with rape, acts of lasciviousness and violations of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS) Officer Jessie Perez said the incident involving the seven minors happened inside the Home Children’s Center, a City-run shelter for children who are abused, neglected by their parents or facing legal trouble.

The Mandaue City Government coordinated with the Mandaue City Police Office-Women and Children’s Protection Desk for the filing of the complaints against the suspect before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office at the Mandaue City Hall of Justice yesterday.

Cabiging was assigned to Home in last July. He was a “house parent” assigned to handle tutorials for the children.

Perez said that Cabiging’s alleged wrongdoings inside the chil- dren’s center were discovered after one of the minors reported to the center head that his private parts were touched by “Tita Marlon.”

“Nasakit to ang mga bata mao to iyang gihilot. Paghilot niya iyang gihikap ang private part (The children at that time were sick so Cabiging gave them a massage and touched the boys’ private parts),” he said.

The incidents happened on separate dates.

Last Nov. 16, John (not his real name), 16, had a fever so Cabiging gave him a massage inside the center’s classroom. John was surprised when Cabiging touched his private parts.

The following day, the same thing happened to 17-year-old Jude (real name withheld) in the same area.

On Nov. 18, Peter (not his real name), who recently turned 18, asked Cabiging to massage his head as he was having a headache. But Cabiging touched his sex organ.

The incident was repeated on Nov. 19 when Joe, 13; Jake, 14; and Karl, 12, were told by Cabiging to get inside the library one by one. (All names are not their real ones.)

Perez said that another 16-year-old boy revealed that he was told to perform oral sex on Cabiging, who gave him P40 in return.