Man gets 20 years for lascivious conduct toward teenager

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has imposed a prison term of 14 to 20 years on a man for lifting a teenager’s skirt and touching her buttocks.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr., a copy of which has yet to be uploaded to the SC website, the high court found the testimony of the 16-year-old victim to be “clear, candid and categorical.”

The name of the defendant was not immediately available. The SC affirmed his conviction for lascivious conduct under Article III, Section 5(b) of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Aside from imprisonment, the defendant was ordered to pay the complainant a total of P150,000 as civil indemnity as well as moral and exemplary damages.

The SC rejected the defendant’s claim that the penalty “is disproportionate to the crime committed and the surrounding circumstances of its commission,” saying it is “duty bound to apply the law in full force and impose the proper penalty for the crime.”

Considering the penalty imposed, the SC said it is recommending the case to the Chief Executive, through the Department of Justice, “for study and consideration of the mitigation of the penalty imposed.”