Nanny faces raps for ‘hurting’ Korean toddler

A nanny is facing criminal charges before the court for allegedly maltreating a Korean toddler she was babysitting at Dona Rita Village, Barangay Banilad, Cebu City.

City Prosecutor Venice Balansag has found probable cause to elevate physical injury charges against Mavel Gillara Navoa, 26, to the court.

Balansag set the nanny's bail at P80,000 for her temporary liberty.

It stemmed from a complaint filed by Jin Lee, the mother of a one-yearold boy, against Navoa, a stay-in babysitter.

Based on the affidavit of Gretchen Dayondon, a househelp, Navoa hit the child's head with her hand while inside the maid's quarter on April 11.

The abuse was captured on video by Miraflor Tapayan, also a babysitter. The footage was shown to Lee and reported it to the Women and Children Protection Desk of Mabolo Police Station.

A complaint for violation of Section 10 of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act was filed against Navoa.

Dayondon admitted that it was not the first incident Navoa laid a hand on the child.

She said there were instances that Navoa struck the child with a bottle filled with water.

Most of the time, she said, Navoa inflicted pain to the child by spanking, pinching or pulling his ear and slapping his face especially if he refuses to nap.

The nanny would only stop beating the toddler once he starts crying, said Dayondon.

Dayondon said they told Navoa to stop hurting the child but the latter will only respond, “Aysus. Para makat-on ni'g puyo.”

Navoa reportedly insisted that she's just disciplining the child.

Filipinos are “culturally” inclined to disciplining children through spanking or other forms of corporal punishment, such as hitting, kicking, pinching, and even forcing the child to stay in an uncomfortable place or position.

In 2012, the Cebu City Council passed an ordinance that prohibits parents, guardians, relatives, teachers, nannies and househelp from inflicting pain or causing humiliation in disciplining children under their care.

Among the acts prohibited by the ordinance are shaving of a child's hair as a form of punishment, verbal abuse, spanking or hitting, slapping and kicking a child, intimidation, neglecting a child's needs, exposure to the heat of the sun or rain.

Violators of the ordinance face fines of up to P5,000 and/ or imprisonment of not more than six months, depending on the discretion of the courts.