Dance instructor, 2 others face raps for child abuse

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A dance instructor and his two female co-teachers were charged separately for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act” before the City Prosecutor’s Office Monday, October 14, for alleged physical, psychological, and verbal abuse they have committed against their three ballet minor-students here.

Lawyer Nestor Jeremy Moreno, legal counsel of the three victims, said the suspects whose names were withheld, allegedly abused and molested their students aged between 16 -17 in a period of time.

Moreno said the incident started in January this year, when the students entered into a scholarship program with the dance school owned by one of the suspects.

Moreno said the school owner was able to impose certain requirements to his students that would be tantamount to a violation, citing an excessive dietary program which already affected the health of the students.

He also added that between April to September, there was physical, verbal, and emotional abuses committed by the three suspects such as deprivation of dietary nourishment, using of expletive words and demeaning phrases and terms to decrease the dignity of the children, and hitting them with sticks during their practice.

Lawyer Josefa Maria Castro, also the victims’ legal counsel, said her clients slowly came out when they told each other about the molestation and other abuses from their instructors.

“It led to a domino effect until they had the courage to tell their parents about it,” she added.

The school owner was previously arrested after he was also charged for five counts of statutory rape, and two cases for lascivious conduct in relation to RA 7610. However, he was able to post bail.

Moreno said they will be questioning its procedure since they believed there are some irregularities, but he refused to go on specific details about it.

Meanwhile, Moreno said they believed that there are other victims who have yet to come out.

He said the school was temporarily closed and they have already filed a motion for precautionary hold departure order not to allow the suspects to leave the country.

“We believe that they are just here,” he added.

He said they also filed a motion for the immediate resolution of the cases they have filed, given that these types of cases are sensitive in nature.

The law requires that they should be resolved immediately, he added.